These proceedings demonstrate the increasing interest and importance of contact mechanics and wear to the railway industry. The 27 contributions succeed in sustaining a balance between mechanics and metallurgy, theory and practice, and will be of considerable interest to those engaged in research, as well as practising engineers.

Many of the engineering problems of particular importance to railways arise at interfaces and the safety-critical role of the wheel/rail interface is widely acknowledged. Better understanding of wheel/rail interfaces is therefore critical to improving the capacity, reliability and safety of the railway system.Wheel-rail interface handbook is a one-stop reference for railway engineering practitioners and academic researchers. Part one provides the fundamentals of contact mechanics, wear, fatigue and lubrication as well as state-of-the-art research and emerging technologies related to the wheel/rail interface and its management. Part two offers an overview of industrial practice from several different regions of the world, thereby providing an invaluable international perspective with practitioners' experience of managing the wheel/rail interface in a variety of environments and circumstances.This comprehensive volume will enable practising railway engineers, in whatever discipline of railway engineering – infrastructure, vehicle design and safety, and so on – to enhance their understanding of wheel/rail issues, which have a major influence on the running of a reliable, efficient and safe railway. - One-stop reference on the important topic of wheel rail-interfaces - Presents the fundamentals of contact mechanics, wear, fatigue and lubrication - Examines state-of-the-art research and emerging technologies related to wheel-rail interface and its management

TRIBOLOGY – the study of friction, wear and lubrication – impacts almost every aspect of our daily lives. The Springer Encyclopedia of Tribology is an authoritative and comprehensive reference covering all major aspects of the science and engineering of tribology that are relevant to researchers across all engineering industries and related scientific disciplines. This is the first major reference that brings together the science, engineering and technological aspects of tribology of this breadth and scope in a single work. Developed and written by leading experts in the field, the Springer Encyclopedia of Tribology covers the fundamentals as well as advanced applications across material types, different length and time scales, and encompassing various engineering applications and technologies. Exciting new areas such as nanotribology, tribochemistry and biotribology have also been included. As a six-volume set, the Springer Encyclopedia of Tribology comprises 1630 entries written by authoritative experts in each subject area, under the guidance of an international panel of key researchers from academia, national laboratories and industry. With alphabetically-arranged entries, concept diagrams and cross-linking features, this comprehensive work provides easy access to essential information for both researchers and practicing engineers in the fields of engineering (aerospace, automotive, biomedical, chemical, electrical, and mechanical) as well as materials science, physics, and chemistry.

Fatigue is a major issue affecting safety and quality of service in the railway industry. This book reviews key aspects of this important subject. It begins by providing an overview of the subject, discussing fatigue at the wheel-rail interface and in other aspects of infrastructure. It then considers fatigue in railway and tramway track, looking at causes of potential failure in such areas as rails and fixings as well as sleepers. It also reviews failure points in structures such as embankments and cuttings. The book analyses fatigue in railway bridges, looking in particular at masonry arch bridges as well as metal and concrete bridges. Two final chapters review safety and reliability issues affecting escalators and lifts.Fatigue in railway infrastructure is a helpful reference for those in the railway industry responsible for infrastructure maintenance as well as those researching this important subject. - Provides a concise review of fatigue in the railway infrastructure - Examines the causes of potential failure in rails, fixings and sleepers - Analyses fatigue in railway bridges including masonry arch, metal and concrete structures