STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF RAILWAYS BOLSTER-BEAM UNDER COMMERCIAL OPERATION CONDITIONS: OVER-TRACTION AND OVER-BRAKING

• Main Authors: Ronald M. MARTINOD, German R. BETANCUR, Jorge L. RESTREPO, Leonel F. CASTAÑEDA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Silesian University of Technology 2016-06-01
• Series: Transport Problems
• Subjects: bolster-beam; structural analysis; finite elements model; multibody model; railway testing
• Online Access: http://transportproblems.polsl.pl/pl/Archiwum/2016/zeszyt1/2016t11z2_07.pdf

The conditions for the operation of railway systems are closely related to the increase of the commercial demand; as a consequence, the performance of the structural elements of railways changes. The present paper focuses on a study of the structural behaviour of bolster-beams under commercial operation conditions of railway systems, specifically in the dynamic conditions generated in events of over-traction and over-braking on the vehicle running. The proposed work is constructed based on the following phases: (i) analysis of the kinematics of the vehicle; (ii) development of numerical models, a model based on the multibody theory, and a Finite Elements model; (iii) development of experimental field tests; and (iv) development of simulations for a detailed analysis of the structural behaviour for a study of the strain distribution in the main bolster-beam. This study is applied to a particular case of a railway system that provides commercial service to passengers.