Critical internal defect size for subsurface crack initiation in heavy haul car wheels

Rolling contact fatigue failure is one of the very common causes for the replacement of heavy haul car wheels. There are two crack initiation modes in rolling contact fatigue failures, which are surface and subsurface crack initiation modes. Internal defects such as voids and non–metallic inclusions are known to be the possible origins of subsurface cracks. In this study, torsion and axial fatigue tests are conducted on railway wheel steel with...