Load interaction effects in propagation lifetime and inspections of railway axles

As well known, an interaction effect arises, on crack propagation, when a specimen or a component is subjected to variable amplitude fatigue loading. Depending on the applied load sequence, a certain amount of retardation or acceleration can then be observed, on the fatigue crack growth rate, with respect to the constant amplitude case. In the case of structural ductile materials, the interaction phenomenon is mainly addressed by the local plasticity at the crack tip and can be explained, from a global point of view, by adopting the crack closure concept. In the present research, load interaction effects in a medium strength steel for railway axles are experimentally analyzed by companion and full-scale specimens. The experimental outcomes show a significant retardation with respect to a simple no-interaction approach and the Strip-Yield model offers good, yet conservative, estimates of crack advance. The consequences of crack growth retardation on the inspection periodicity of railway axles are then discussed.