Identify the projected rectangle
Select the specific b × t area used in your detail calculation. The tool does not infer a contact patch from a wheel or rail shape.
BEAMS & SECTIONS / TOOL 14
Projected Bearing Stress Calculator
Use this only when your calculation model already defines a rectangular projected bearing area and you need its nominal average compressive stress.
Before you start: required inputs
- Identify the force assigned to the projected area in your chosen load path.
- Define the rectangle’s width b and material thickness t from the detail drawing. Confirm that a projected-area model is appropriate for the detail.
Calculation diagram
A PRACTICAL WALKTHROUGH
How to use this calculator
Use force, not mass
Enter the applied force in kN and the two projected dimensions in mm.
Read nominal stress only
The result is the force divided by your defined area. Use a separate, appropriate method for contact mechanics or a design-resistance comparison.
100 kN over a 100 × 20 mm projected area
THE INPUTS
Applied force 100 kN; projected width b = 100 mm; material thickness t = 20 mm.
THE RESULT
The projected area is 2,000 mm². Nominal projected bearing stress is 50 N/mm², equivalent to 50 MPa.
What does the result mean?
01
Nominal stress assumes uniform force distribution over the entered rectangle.
02
Projected bearing area is the geometric b × t value you supplied; it is not a calculated wheel-to-rail contact area.
03
The output contains no allowable stress, resistance or pass/fail assessment.
Watch for this
Using this as a wheel–rail Hertz contact-stress calculator. A curved contact patch requires a different model and additional material and geometry data.
Formula & model conditions +
Projected area = b × t
Nominal projected bearing stress = force / projected area
1 N/mm² = 1 MPa
- The supplied force is distributed uniformly over the user-defined projected rectangle b × t.
- This is nominal projected stress only. The dimensions do not represent an automatically calculated wheel-to-rail contact patch.
- Hertz contact stress, rail-head contact, web crippling, plate bending, local buckling and design resistance are not calculated.
Common questions
Will this calculate rail-head or wheel contact stress?
No. It does not model Hertz contact, curved surfaces or a nonuniform contact-pressure distribution.
Does it check web crippling or local plate buckling?
No. These are separate limit states requiring their own geometry, material data, boundary conditions and design method.