Review article

The article considers the beam on a solid elastic foundation with an internal transverse crack of circular shape. The cross-section of the beam has the form of an uneven I-beam joist. The beam is exposed to multiple effects of concentrated force. The proposed calculation scheme is aimed at determining the cyclical strength of the railway rails and specifying the inspection interval. The kinetic equation of crack growth has been obtained and the allowable number of cycles has been specified. The critical load with a single static impact is also assessed. The results are compared with the available experimental data.