Abstract
The effect of surface damage on fatigue properties of catenary wires were investigated to estimate their service lift. As surface defects of the wires caused by surface corrosion increase, surface roughness gets worse, and as roughness increases, it is easy for moisture coming from rain and dew to be condensed around uneven parts of the surface. The condensed moisture causes a locally severe corrosion which leads to damage of the wires. Corrosion of catenaty wires can make their actual lifetime shorter than that originally designed. The amount of decrease was more prominent as environmental conditions became more corrosive. They are also vibrated with some amplitude everytime pantographs touch contact line. The frequent cyclic load on the wire may result in a fatigue fracture. Surface damage by corrosion can make formation of crack initiation at fatigue. In the present study, the fatigue life of the used wire was measured 35 to 50% compared with that of new one in average.
