Professor David Fletcher
BEng, PhD.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Professor of Railway Engineering
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d.i.fletcher@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7760
+44 114 222 7760
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Full contact details
Professor David Fletcher
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
- Profile
-
David is a graduate of Leeds University and received his PhD on crack growth in railway steels from University of Sheffield in 1999. He conducted post-doctoral research at Newcastle University focused on full-scale railway engineering testing before returning to Sheffield in 2009. He has been awarded several prizes for research in the railway area, undertaken a short JSPS fellowship at Rail Technical Research Institute in Japan, and progressed from lecturer to a full professor at University of Sheffield.
David’s research crosses several areas of engineering design, tribology, system engineering and performance of materials. The majority of his work has application in the railway sector, and combines experimental and modelling approaches.
- Research interests
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- Railway rail-wheel interface – contact mechanics, adhesion, fatigue, wear, lubrication.
- Overhead line electrification – system dynamics, and behaviour of materials under mechanical and electrical loads at the pantograph to overhead line interface.
- Rail system design for safety and security – materials and design for improved resilience to terrorist attack for stations and vehicles.
- Network modelling and optimisation – pedestrian flow optimisation in station environments, developing metrics for passenger experience, quantifying system energy and power demands for deployment of energy storage systems.David is Director of the Rail Innovation and Technology Centre with Network Rail, and leads Sheffield’s relationship with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN). He is a an International Committee member for Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, and member of the Leonardo Tribology Centre.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Rough surface rolling contact fatigue crack stress intensity factor calculation for modern rail steels. Wear, 540-541, 205231-205231.
- Scaling-up laser cladding of rails. Wear, 540-541, 205227-205227.
- Nano and micro-indentation driven characterisation of asperity and bulk plasticity at the surface of modern premium rail steels. Wear, 205004-205004.
- Coordinated Control Strategy of Railway Multisource Traction System With Energy Storage and Renewable Energy. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 1-12.
- Evaluation of laser cladding as an in-situ repair method on rail steel. Tribology International.
- A methodology to optimise a rail network specification for maximum passenger satisfaction and reduced initial investment. Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management, 21. View this article in WRRO
- Experimental Investigation on the Arc Damage and Fatigue Crack Initiation Risk of Copper-Silver Contact Wires. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 1-8.
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) as line-side energy storage for support of DC-powered electric railway systems. Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management, 19.
- Optimal control and energy storage for DC electric train systems using evolutionary algorithms. Railway Engineering Science.
- TransEnergy - a tool for energy storage optimization, peak power and energy consumption reduction in DC electric railway systems. Journal of Energy Storage, 30. View this article in WRRO
- Effect of contact wire gradient on the dynamic performance of the catenary pantograph system. Vehicle System Dynamics. View this article in WRRO
- Geospatial and temporal data mining to combine railway low adhesion and rail defect data. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Transport, 173(4), 273-286. View this article in WRRO
- Special issue of Wear on Contact Mechanics 2018. Wear. View this article in WRRO
- Laboratory assessment of arc damage in railway overhead contact lines with a case study on copper-silver and low oxygen content copper. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 1-1.
- A methodology for robust multi-train trajectory planning under dwell-time and control-point uncertainty. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 234(6), 596-606. View this article in WRRO
- Laser cladding of rail; the effects of depositing material on lower rail grades. Wear, 438-439. View this article in WRRO
- Investigating Bayesian optimization for rail network optimization. International Journal of Rail Transportation. View this article in WRRO
- A rail network performance metric to capture passenger experience. Journal of Rail Transport Planning and Management. View this article in WRRO
- Assessing the impact of small amounts of water and iron oxides on adhesion in the wheel/rail interface using High Pressure Torsion testing. Tribology International. View this article in WRRO
- Optimisation of a railway sanding system for optimal grain entrainment into the wheel–rail contact. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 232(1), 43-62. View this article in WRRO
- Full-Scale Testing of Laser Clad Railway Track; Case Study - Testing for Wear, Bend Fatigue and Insulated Block Joint Lipping Integrity. Wear, 376-377(B), 1930-1937. View this article in WRRO
- Effect of the presence of moisture at the wheel–rail interface during dew and damp conditions. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. View this article in WRRO
- Optimisation of a railway sanding system : adhesion tests. The International Journal of Railway Technology, 6(2), 87-98. View this article in WRRO
- The potential for suppressing rail defect growth through tailoring rail thermo-mechanical properties. Wear, 366-367, 401-406. View this article in WRRO
- Improving Rail Wear and RCF Performance using Laser Cladding. Wear, 366-367, 268-278. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of blast loading in complex, confined geometries using quarter symmetry experimental methods. Shock Waves, 26(6), 749-757. View this article in WRRO
- Validation of a new model for railway overhead line dynamics. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Transport, 169(5), 339-349. View this article in WRRO
- Multi-train trajectory optimisation to maximise rail network energy efficiency under travel-time constraints. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 230(4), 1318-1335. View this article in WRRO
- Passenger acceptance of counter-terrorism security measures in stations. IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 10(1), 2-9. View this article in WRRO
- Assessment of laser cladding as an option for repairing/enhancing rails. Wear, 330-331, 581-591. View this article in WRRO
- Numerical simulation of near surface rail cracks subject to thermal contact stress. Wear, 314(1-2), 96-103. View this article in WRRO
- The aerodynamics of freight; approaches to save fuel by optimising the utilisation of container trains. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 227(November 2013), 635-643. View this article in WRRO
- A new two-dimensional model of rolling-sliding contact creep curves for a range of lubrication types. PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART J-JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING TRIBOLOGY, 227(J6), 529-537. View this article in WRRO
- Creep curve measurement to support wear and adhesion modelling, using a continuously variable creep twin disc machine. Wear, 298-299(1), 57-65.
- Telling the difference between studs and squats. Railway Gazette International, 168(8), 36-38.
- Studs: A squat-type defect in rails. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 226(3), 243-256. View this article in WRRO
- Special issue on engineering a secure railway. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 225(4), 349-350.
- Calculation of minimum crack size for growth under RCF between wheel and rail. WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences, 71, 123-134.
- The need for developing an effective and acceptable engineering response to terrorist attacks on railway systems. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 225(4), 359-371. View this article in WRRO
- Visualization and modelling to understand rail rolling contact fatigue cracks in three dimensions. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 225(2), 165-178. View this article in WRRO
- Effect of Traffic on Crack Initiation in Rails. Journal of Mechanical Systems for Transport and Logistics, 3(1), 100-109.
- Planning Rail Grinding using Crack Growth Predictions. Journal of Mechanical Systems for Transport and Logistics, 3(1), 216-225.
- Three-dimensional modelling of rail steel microstructure and crack growth. Wear.
- Influence of partial slip and direction of traction on wear rate in wheel-rail contact. Wear.
- 352559 PLANNING RAIL GRINDING USING CRACK GROWTH PREDICTIONS(Infrastructure,Technical Session). The Proceedings of International Symposium on Seed-up and Service Technology for Railway and Maglev Systems : STECH, 2009(0).
- 357828 EFFECT OF TRAFFIC ON CRACK INITIATION IN RAILS(Safety,Technical Session). The Proceedings of International Symposium on Seed-up and Service Technology for Railway and Maglev Systems : STECH, 2009(0).
- The acceptability of counter-terrorism measures on urban mass transit in the UK. WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, 107, 627-636.
- Rail rolling contact fatigue dependence on friction, predicted using fracture mechanics with a three-dimensional boundary element model. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 76(17), 2612-2625.
- Modelling rail steel microstructure and its effect on crack initiation. WEAR, 265(9-10), 1332-1341.
- Modelling and full-scale trials to investigate fluid pressurisation of rolling contact fatigue cracks. WEAR, 265(9-10), 1317-1324.
- Resilient design for community safety and terror-resistant cities. P I CIVIL ENG-MUNIC, 161(2), 103-110.
- Three-Dimensional Microstructural Modelling Of Wear, Crack Initiation and Growth in Rail Steel. Korean International Journal of Railway, 1(3), 106-112.
- Predicting the life of steel rails. P I MECH ENG F-J RAI, 221(1), 45-58.
- Investigating fluid penetration of rolling contact fatigue cracks in rails using a newly developed full-scale test facility. P I MECH ENG F-J RAI, 221(1), 35-44.
- Rapid method of stress intensity factor calculation for semi-elliptical surface breaking cracks under three-dimensional contact loading. P I MECH ENG F-J RAI, 220(3), 219-234.
- Growth of multiple rolling contact fatigue cracks driven by rail bending modelled using a boundary element technique. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 218(3), 243-253.
- Computer simulation of strain accumulation and hardening for pearlitic rail steel undergoing repeated contact. Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design, 39(4), 383-396.
- Image analysis to reveal crack development using a computer simulation of wear and rolling contact fatigue. Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 26(10), 957-967.
- The role of wear in enhancing rail life. Tribology Series, 41, 331-340.
- Experimental assessment of materials for indirect surface texturing. Journal of Testing and Evaluation, 30(6), 501-507.
- A quantitative model for predicting the morphology of surface initiated rolling contact fatigue cracks in back-up roll steels. Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 25(11), 1073-1086.
- Session IX - Friction, wear and life of line contacts in machine elements (1) - Life predictions. Tribology Series, 41, 881-883.
- Managing the critical wheel/rail interface. Railway Gazette International, 158(1), 25-28.
- Nouveau traitement de surface par laser pour améliorer les propriétés mécaniques et tribologiques des aciers à outils : Ingénierie de surface. Traitement thermique, 328, 21-25.
- Modelling surface texture evolution for a titanium carbide implanted tool surface undergoing wear. Tribology Series, 39, 573-584.
- Theoretical analysis of steady-state texture formation during wear of a bi-material surface. Wear, 250-251(PART 2), 1332-1336.
- Thermal Implantation of Metal Carbide Particles - A new Surface Treatment for Cold Forging Tools. VDI Berichte, 1555, 243-258.
- The effect of intermittent lubrication on the fatigue life of pearlitic rail steel in rolling-sliding contact. P I MECH ENG F-J RAI, 214(3), 145-158.
- Effect of contact load reduction on the fatigue life of pearlitic rail steel in lubricated rolling-sliding contact. Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 23(8), 639-650.
- Wear behaviour and surface form evolution of a novel titanium carbide implanted surface under lubricated conditions. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, 214(6), 597-610.
- Equilibrium of crack growth and wear rates during unlubricated rolling-sliding contact of pearlitic rail steel. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 214(2), 93-105.
- Development of a Machine for Closely Controlled Rolling Contact Fatigue and Wear Testing. Journal of Testing and Evaluation, 28(4), 267-275.
- The influence of lubricant type on rolling contact fatigue of pearlitic rail steel. Tribology Series, 36, 299-310.
- A simple method of stress intensity factor calculation for inclined surface-breaking cracks with crack face friction under contact loading. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, 213(6), 481-486.
- A simple method of stress intensity factor calculation for inclined fluid-filled surface-breaking cracks under contact loading. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, 213(4), 299-304.
- Rail-wheel friction quantification and its variability under lab and field trial conditions. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit.
- Fuzzy Inference Model for Railway Track Buckling Prediction. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
- A New Small Sample Test Configuration for Fatigue Life Estimation of Overhead Contact Wires. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit.
- Recent Advances in Video Analytics for Rail Network Surveillance for Security, Trespass and Suicide Prevention—A Survey. Sensors.
- Validation of Agent-Based Passenger Movement Modelling for Railway Stations subject to Social Distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Transportation Research Record.
- Benchmarking of premium rail material wear. Wear. View this article in WRRO
- Simulation study of thermally initiated rail defects. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. View this article in WRRO
- Measuring material plastic response to cyclic loading in modern rail steels from a minimal number of twin-disc tests. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit.
Chapters
- Classical Hertzian Contact Theory In Schmid F, Brustow B, Clark S, Eickhoff B, Hiensch M, Hsu SS & Kent S (Ed.), Best Practice in Wheel-Rail Interface Management for Mixed Traffic Railways (pp. 3-20-3-24). University of Birmingham Press
- Crack Development In Schmid F, Brustow M, Clark S, Eickhoff B, Hiensch M, Hsu SS & Kent S (Ed.), Best Practice in Wheel-Rail Interface Management for Mixed Traffic Railways (pp. 4-19-4-30). University of Birmingham Press
- Wheel-rail interface handbook
- Rail surface fatigue and wear, Wheel–Rail Interface Handbook (pp. 280-310). Elsevier
- The evolution and failure of pearlitic microstructure in rail steel – observations and modelling, Wheel–Rail Interface Handbook (pp. 311-348). Elsevier
- Contributor contact details, Wheel–Rail Interface Handbook (pp. xv-xx). Elsevier
- Rail surface fatigue and wear In Lewis R & Olofsson U (Ed.), Wheel-Rail Interface Handbook (pp. 280-310). CRC Press
- The evolution and failure of pearlitic microstructure in rail steel - observations and modelling In Lewis R & Olofsson U (Ed.), Wheel-Rail Interface Handbook (pp. 311-348). CRC Press
- Tribology of Rail Transport In Bhushan B (Ed.), Modern tribology handbook (pp. 1271-1330). London: CRC.
Conference proceedings papers
- Real-Time Energy Storage System Control Strategies for Urban Rail Transit with Renewable Energy. 2023 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Industrial Electronics for Sustainable Energy Systems (IESES), 26 July 2023 - 28 July 2023.
- Control Strategy and Analysis of Railway Traction System with Energy Storage System and Renewable Energy Source. 2022 3rd International Conference on Advanced Electrical and Energy Systems (AEES), 23 September 2022 - 25 September 2022.
- IMPROVING THE WHEEL/RAIL CONTACT PERFORMANCE THROUGH LASER CLADDING OF RAIL, HIGH SPEED RAIL GRINDING AND RAIL CLEANING: CASE STUDIES IN GOING FROM THE LAB TO THE FIELD. CM 2022 - 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, Conference Proceedings (pp 477-483)
- SMALL-SCALE TESTING OF RAIL LASER CLADDING LONGEVITY, PARAMETER TOLERANCE AND IN-SITU REPAIRS IN PREPARATION FOR FIELD IMPLEMENTATION. CM 2022 - 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, Conference Proceedings (pp 364-374)
- EFFICIENT LABORATORY TEST PROGRAMME FOR CHARACTERISING RAIL STEEL STRAIN ACCUMULATION. CM 2022 - 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, Conference Proceedings (pp 62-70)
- ROUGH SURFACE ROLLING CONTACT FATIGUE CRACK STRESS INTENSITY FACTOR CALCULATION FOR EXPLORATION OF THE RAIL-WHEEL INTERFACE FOR MODERN RAIL STEELS. CM 2022 - 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, Conference Proceedings (pp 110-118)
- A Re-commissioned flexible full-scale wheel/rail test facility. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/wheel Systems, CM 2018 (pp 518-528)
- Laser cladding of rail; The effects of depositing material on lower rail grades. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/wheel Systems, CM 2018 (pp 610-617)
- Benchmarking of premium rail material wear. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/wheel Systems, CM 2018 (pp 172-180). Delft, The Netherlands, 24 September 2018 - 27 September 2018. View this article in WRRO
- RateSetter. Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference
- The effect of white etching layer patches on a larger rail defect. MATEC Web of Conferences, Vol. 135 (pp 00077-00077) View this article in WRRO
- Maximising passenger satisfaction through optimised train movements. Institution of Mechanical Engineers - Stephenson Conference: Research for Railways 2017 (pp 181-192)
- Laser cladding of railway track to promote wear/RCF, bend fatigue and IBJ Lipping resistance. Civil-Comp Proceedings, Vol. 110
- Improving Rail Wear and RCF Performance using Laser Cladding. CM2015 - 10th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, 30 August 2015 - 3 September 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Geospatial and temporal analysis of wheel slide events. CM 2015 - 10th International Conference on Contact Mechanics of Wheel / Rail Systems
- A study into the effect of the presence of moisture at the wheel/rail interface during dew and damp conditions. CM 2015 - 10th International Conference on Contact Mechanics of Wheel / Rail Systems
- Interaction of multiple cracks in railheads. CM 2015 - 10th International Conference on Contact Mechanics of Wheel / Rail Systems
- Optimisation of a Railway Sanding System, Part 1: Optimal Grain Entrainment into the Wheel/Rail Contact. CM2015
- Investigation into the effect of moisture on rail adhesion. Stephenson Conference Research for Railways 2015, Vol. 2015-April (pp 395-407)
- Insulated rail joint enhancement: Testing and analysis. Stephenson Conference Research for Railways 2015, Vol. 2015-April (pp 463-476) View this article in WRRO
- Robust multi-train trajectory optimisation for real world conditions using a 'noisy' genetic algorithm. Stephenson Conference Research for Railways 2015, Vol. 2015-April (pp 515-527)
- Adhesion dependence on water dispersion and rail wettability. CM 2015 - 10th International Conference on Contact Mechanics of Wheel / Rail Systems
- A quantitative risk assessment methodology for evaluating security threats to railway and metro stations and interchanges. RRUKA 2012 Annual Conference. www.rssb.co.uk, 7 November 2012 - 7 November 2012.
- The aerodynamics of freight; approaches to save fuel by optimising the utilisation of container trains. RRUKA 2012 Annual Conference. www.rssb.co.uk, 7 November 2012 - 7 November 2012.
- Thermal contact stress and near surface rail cracks. 9th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, CM 2012 (pp 470-479)
- Assessment of Laser Cladding as an Option for Repair of Rails. 9th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (pp 380-385). Chengdu, China, 27 August 2012 - 30 August 2012.
- Destructive Examination of Rails & Evaluation of Thermal Effect of Rail-Wheel Contact. Squat Type Defect Seminar. London Underground, 13 December 2010.
- An overview of railway research in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Sheffield. Rail Technology Research Institute Seminar. Rail Technology Research Institute (RTRI), Tokyo, Japan, 15 June 2009.
- Rail-wheel contact research at the University of Newcastle. 11th International Conference on Fracture 2005, ICF11, Vol. 8 (pp 5596-5601)
- The self-forming phenomenon - dynamic restructuring of tool surfaces in metal forming processes. Österreichische Tribologische Gesellschaft (pp 1-4). Wien, 3 September 2001 - 7 September 2001.
- New laser surface treatment for improving mechanical and tribological properties of forming tools. Europäischer Kongress für Wärmebehandlung und mechanische Oberflächenbehandlung "ATTT 2000" (In Engl (pp 29). Paris, 14 June 2000 - 16 June 2000.
- Combining crack-growth, contact geometry, and probabilistic methodology to plan optimised rail grinding. World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR) 2016. Online: https://www.sparkrail.org/Pages/WCRR.aspx, 29 May 2016 - 2 June 2016. View this article in WRRO
- A simulations-driven approach for predicting harmful effects of terrorists attacks and to design mitigation countermeasures. International CAE Conference 2013. Verona, Italy, 21 October 2013 - 23 October 2013.
- Modelling blast loads in rail vehicles. Structures under Shock and Impact XII (pp 85-97). Kos, Greece, 4 September 2012 - 6 September 2012. View this article in WRRO
- Metallurgical background to rail failures. Seminar on the development of squat type defects on the Northern and Jubilee Lines. 20 Jan 2010, 20 January 2010.
- Improvement of mechanical and tribological properties of forming tools by 3D thermal implants with dispersed metal-carbide particles. 4th European Mechanics of Materials Conference "Euromech - Mecamat", Processes Microstructures Mech. Metz, France, 26 June 2000 - 29 June 2000.
- Selbstformung als dynamisches Gestaltungssprinzip für nanometrische Oberflächen auf Umformwerkzeugen (Self-forming structures for nano-metric surfaces on forming tools). Verein Deutscher Eisenhüttenleuten VDEh Grundlagen der Umformtechnik (technical meeting of the Germa. Düsseldorf, Germany, 4 October 1999 - 4 October 1999.
- The metallurgy of pearlitic rail steel following service in the UK. World Congress on Railway Research WCRR 2003 (pp 932-939). Edinburgh, 28 September 2003 - 1 October 2003.
- Integrated study of fatigue and wear of pearlitic rail steels under rolling-sliding contact conditions. 5th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2000) (pp 104-108). Tokyo, Japan, 25 July 2000 - 28 July 2000.
- The Morphology of Cracks in Rails.. ESIA8 Throughlife Management of Structures & Components (pp 45-54). Manchester, UK, 24 October 2006 - 25 October 2006.
- Hardness and the damage on the rail surface. 11th Railroad Technical Combined Symposium (J-RAIL2004). Japan, 7 December 2004 - 9 December 2004.
- New Developments In Rail-Wheel Contact Research At The University Of Newcastle. 11th International Conference on Fracture (ICF11). Turin, 20 March 2005 - 25 March 2005.
Reports
- Crack growth modelling background & KRRI specific cases
- Investigation of rail defects
- SUROS test on Corus weld repaired steels
- Wear steps in overhead line neutral section
- Investigation of rail defects
- Marmaray Project Phase I
- Wear fatigue interaction: underlying models, recent developments and grinding predictions
- Comparison of the Hatfield and alternative UK rails using models to assess the effect of residual stress on crack growth from rolling contact fatigue
- Post Hatfield rolling contact fatigue - The effect of residual stress on contact stress driven crack growth in rail Part 3: Further data
- Post Hatfield rolling contact fatigue - The effect of residual stress on contact stress driven crack growth in rail: Combination of bending and contact stresses
- Post Hatfield rolling contact fatigue - The effect of residual stress on contact stress driven crack growth in rail Part 1: The model
- Post Hatfield rolling contact fatigue - The effect of residual stress on contact stress driven crack growth in rail Part 2: Data
- Post Hatfield rolling contact fatigue - The effect of residual stress on contact stress driven crack growth in rail: Literature review
- RSSB T355 - Management and Understanding of Rolling Contact Fatigue, WP 2 Phase 2 Crack Growth Final Project Report
- Comparison of the Hatfield and alternative UK rails using models to assess the effect of residual stress on crack growth from rolling contact fatigue
- Report on Water Solubility of Dried and Liquid Lignin
- Management and Understanding of Rolling Contact Fatigue, WP1:Mechanisms of Crack Initiation Final Report
- Track tests on rail-wheel adhesion, RSSB 1121, Characteristics of Railhead Leaf Contamination
- Post Hatfield rolling contact fatigue - Measurement of Crack Depths in a Section of Head Hardened Rail
- Management and Understanding of Rolling Contact Fatigue, WP1: Mechanisms of Crack Initiation, and WP2: Crack Growth. Literature Review
- Whole life rail model Interim Report
- Whole Life Rail Model, Stage 1 final report, University of Sheffield and AEAT
- Simulation of back-up roll contact fatigue
- Survey of damage in rail
Posters
- The influence of solid lubricants on pearlitic rail steel fatigue life. World Tribology Congress, London.
Theses / Dissertations
- The Influence of Lubrication on the Fatigue of Pearlitic Rail Steel. University of Sheffield.
- Rough surface rolling contact fatigue crack stress intensity factor calculation for modern rail steels. Wear, 540-541, 205231-205231.
- Research group
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David has PhD research opportunities available across these research areas and welcomes enquiries on undertaking PhD research.
- Teaching activities
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David is module leader for MEC448 Railway Engineering and Sustainable Transport which is offered to fourth year MEng and MSc students. He is a student mentor on the industrially linked 3rd year MEng Group Design Project (MEC307). He formerly taught the first year module Mechanical Engineering Design Skills (MEC131).
- Professional activities and memberships
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David is Director of the Rail Innovation and Technology Centre with Network Rail, and leads Sheffield’s relationship with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN). He is a an International Committee member for Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, and member of the Leonardo Tribology Centre.
Prizes
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers Railway Division AR Bennett Premium Award for the paper ‘Studs: a squat-type defect in rails’, 2013.
- World Congress on Railway Research, Korea, Prize for Best Paper Addressing System Interaction Issues, for paper ‘Three-Dimensional Microstructural Modelling Of Wear, Crack Initiation and Growth in Rail Steel’, 2008
- The Institution of Mechanical Engineers Railway Division, TA Steward-Dyer / F H Trevithick Prize, 2005
- The Institution of Mechanical Engineers Tribology Trust, Tribology Bronze Medal, 2000
- The Institution of Mechanical Engineers Railway Division, William Alexander Agnew Meritorious Award / Clarence Noel Goodall Award, 2000
- The University of Sheffield Herbert Walker Swift Bursary, 2000
- The Institution of Mechanical Engineers Frederic Barnes Walden Prize, 1994
- The University of Leeds Foundation Prize in Mechanical Engineering, 1994
- ICI Prize, University of Leeds, 1993
- Cameron Iron Works Prize, University of Leeds, 1992