Analysis of new method for vertical load measurement in the barycenter of the rail web by using FEM

Continuous method for measuring the forces between the wheel and rail is very important to monitor track loads. One of the usual methods is installing a strain gauge on the rail surface. Thus, strain gauge exposed to aggressive environment that makes it difficult for system to measure exclusively vertical force component and has complex installation operation. In this paper, strain measurement to assess the vertical load on cross section barycentric of rail and the lateral surface of rail web are studied. For this purpose, finite-element analysis was performed and the forces that exchange between wheel and rail in contact location were replaced with the moving loads that were applied to the railhead directly. Size of the effective contact patch was obtained from Hertz contact theory and patch switching time was considered short enough to reach an approximate continuous moving load. The results demonstrate the magnitude of strain in vertical direction is approximately same for the cross section barycentric and lateral surface of the rail web. However, the great advantage of measurement in the cross section barycentric of rail better distinguishes longitudinal and lateral strains from the vertical and also lateral load on a rail has less effect on vertical load measurement. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.