{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T10:54:39Z","timestamp":1791197679514,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,21]],"date-time":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774051200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["52422218"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52422218"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Open Project of State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System","award":["RVL2507"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RVL2507"]}]},{"name":"Open Project of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rail Infrastructure Durability and System Safety","award":["R202405"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R202405"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003787","name":"Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["A2025210049"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["A2025210049"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003787","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Scientific Research Project of Hebei Higher Education Institution","award":["QN2025314"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["QN2025314"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory Youth Research Innovation Special Project","award":["50110010766"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["50110010766"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigates the transient wheel\u2013rail contact mechanics of welded joints in heavy-haul rails via a validated 3D finite element model, and analyzes the stick-slip behavior, dynamic response and elastoplastic characteristics in the base material zone, heat-affected zone and weld bead zone. Results show a distinct contact state transition from stick-slip in the base material to predominant slip within the welded zones, indicating higher wear susceptibility. Dynamic response analysis reveals the highest and lowest contact-point acceleration amplitudes in the base material and heat-affected zone, respectively, due to material heterogeneity. Plastic deformation consistently initiates at the rail surface, where stress and strain concentrate, establishing it as the primary site for damage nucleation. A systematic parametric study shows that plastic deformation can be effectively mitigated by increasing the yield strength and elastic modulus of the welded joint material, or reducing the wheelset velocity, unsprung mass and wheel\u2013rail friction coefficient. In contrast, adjusting the primary suspension and fastener parameters exerts a negligible influence on plastic deformation control. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for optimizing the performance and maintenance of welded joints in heavy-haul rail operations. This study reveals the coupling law of multiple mechanisms among contact behavior, dynamic response and material failure during the damage initiation process of rail welded joints from the mechanistic perspective, which provides a theoretical basis for the structural optimization, condition assessment and maintenance of rail welded joints in heavy-haul railways.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma19061246","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T08:47:42Z","timestamp":1774255662000},"page":"1246","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Transient Contact Elastic\u2013Plastic Characteristics Analysis of Rail Welded Joints in Heavy-Haul Railways"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Chen","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Traffic and Transportation, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang 050043, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5901-240X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhiqiang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China"},{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and System Safety of Traffic Engineering Structures, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang 050043, China"},{"name":"Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rail Infrastructure Durability and System Safety, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"20","article-title":"Study and practice of high-speed heavy rail weldability of Qinshen dedicated passenger line","volume":"19","author":"Yang","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. 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