Experimental validation of railway axle fatigue crack growth using operational loading

Abstract Prediction of fatigue crack growth is an important tool for determining inspection intervals for railway axles. Previously, we described the correspondence between the theoretical crack growth behaviour exhibited by compact tension specimens and the observed results for full-scale axles under constant amplitude loading. In this study, the crack growth behaviour of full-scale axles was experimentally investigated under variable amplitude loading, which was based on the operational load–time history. Crack growth models were compared with full-scale testing results. Moreover, the effect of variable amplitude loading on crack growth behaviour is discussed.