A Simplified Approach to Predict Elastic Pressure Distribution in Non-Hertzian Contact Stress Problems

Abstract

An approximate but simple method to predict elastic pressure distribution in non-Hertzian contact stress problems has been developed using the two-dimensional Hertz relations and experimentally observed footprint shapes. Predicted pressures have been compared with results available from other numerical methods and are found to be quite satisfactory. The method has been applied to determine pressure distribution in wheel-rail contact under the normal load only. Because of its simplicity and reasonably accuracy in predicting pressure it can be readily used by industrial design engineers for many practical problems of contact mechanics.