Life prediction of rolling contact fatigue crack initiation

A strategy developed for fatigue life prediction of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) crack initiation is presented. It combines elastic–plastic finite element (FE) analyses, multiaxial fatigue crack initiation models used together with the critical plane concept, fatigue damage summation calculations, and comparison of results from numerical analyses and experiments. The strategy presented is utilised and evaluated for two RCF examples: (i) a twin disc test, and (ii) a railway wheel–rail rolling contact. The results from both of the examples verify that the strategy and evaluation methodology presented can be used for fatigue life predictions of RCF crack initiation caused by low-cycle fatigue and ratchetting failure.