5. Conclusion

With advances in technology and, above all, the rise of digital modeling, engineers can now optimize their designs even further. Tight economic budgets and the remarkable complexity of projects mean that every design detail counts. The interaction and stability phenomena of long welded rails have been known for a long time, but fairly safe constructive provisions were implemented to circumvent design flaws. Indeed, it is recommended to limit the expandable lengths of engineering structures and to install expensive expansion devices to prevent any overstressing that could jeopardize passenger safety. However, with more comprehensive finite element models, it is now possible to model the behavior of these interacting systems and to characterize the additional stresses that may be generated. This should enable engineers to optimize their structures and increase expandable lengths, or even cancel...