Authors: T. L. M. Morgado

In this paper, fatigue life extension results of a cast steel ASTM A148 90-60 of railway couplings, used in service in Portugal for coal transportation, resorting to two crack growth relationships, Paris equation and modified Paris equation, are presented and discussed. Fatigue lives were obtained in terms of the threshold value and it was possible determined for both crack growth relationships significant crack extension lives. Therefore for these components and in this application damage tolerant procedure can be used with safety and this component can be kept in service provided appropriate inspection procedures are applied to detect and measure fatigue cracks. This proceeding will avoid early retirement from service of these components, since extension life can be assumed with safety.

T. L. M. Morgado^1,2
1 Engineering Departmental Unit of Tomar Polytechnic Institute
2 ICEMS – UL, Institute of Materials and Surfaces Science and Engineering, Lisbon University