General Aspects of Rolling Contact Mechanics for Tire-Road/Terrain and Wheel-Rail Application

The development of contact theories and numerical formula for various applications is a field, which expands rapidly. This publication focuses on the rolling contact problem both for tire-road and wheel-rail contact. For the tire-road application a central problem is the modelling of the composite structure of the tire under internal pressure and axle load and the rolling on soft soil. In the wheel-rail case the contact area is much smaller and therefore much more emphasis is aid on the treatment of material changes, wear and creep phenomena. Several approaches are discussed in detail; ideas about damage mechanisms finish the article.