DIE SCHIENE ALS ELASTISCHES BAUELEMENT.

The paper discusses the complex deformation behavior of rails and its significance for wheel load dynamics, which is of a major importance at high running speeds. The rail is subject by the rolling wheel to an elastic deformation. The deformation in the contact area of rail and wheel and of the rail web differing from the deformation of the rail as beam. The three deformations differ substantially in terms of magnitude and length. This results in a dampening of the dynamic excitations due to the unevenness of the rail and wheel running surfaces as well as to the uneven bearing of the rail and track bed irregularities.