An experimental-numerical approach for the analysis of internally cracked railway wheels

In this paper the problem of the evaluation of the criticality of an internal crack in a railway wheel is dealt with. In particular this paper considers pressure distributions experimentally measured with a technique based on the ultrasonic reflection at the contact interface. A numerical approach is developed to calculate the stress intensity factors of internal cracks under the action of the experimental pressure distributions. Some cases are described and critically discussed: the differences with respect of the corresponding Hertzian pressure distribution are evidenced and the importance of the transversal eccentricity of the crack with respect of the contact patch is underlined.