A Review of Experimental and Simulation Methods for Rolling Contact Fatigue

Rolling contact fatigue and wear of wheel–rail systems are critical factors affecting the safety of high-speed railways and have long been key research topics in materials science. This paper reviews the theoretical foundations of wheel–rail rolling contact fatigue, introduces representative experimental methods for studying rolling contact fatigue, and discusses the stress–strain problems in wheel–rail contact. Additionally, it provides a detailed overview of the emerging computational simulation approach for rolling contact fatigue wear, summarizes commonly used simulation software and their respective characteristics, and analyzes material factors influencing rolling contact fatigue simulations in wheel–rail steels. Finally, based on the classification of rolling contact fatigue algorithms, various measures are proposed to enhance rapid and accurate detection and evaluation.