Wheel load reconstruction using strain gauge measurements on the bogie frame for strain prediction and fatigue assessment

Knowledge of actual wheel-rail contact forces under a service environment is critical for fatigue damage prediction of rail vehicle bogies. This paper presents a method for reconstructing operational wheel loads based on the strain gauge measurements on the bogie of a tram. The strain gauge placement is solved as an optimisation problem, and the actual load-strain relationship is verified by physical calibrations. A novel calibration arrangement is presented to produce linearly independent load cases for a fully equipped bogie. A good correlation of the reconstructed operational stresses with the measured stresses indicated that the identified loads are valid for fatigue assessment.