Why Railroads Don't Need Expansion Joints

A friendly overview of thermal effects on railways.
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Errata: At 9:00, the left column of calculations is incorrectly labeled "SI." It should be imperial. Whoops!

Just as all materials have a mostly linear relationship between temperature change and length change, all materials also have a similar relationship between stress and change in length (often called strain). And this is part of the secret to continuous welded rail: restrained thermal expansion. You can overcome one with the other.

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Video by Grady Hillhouse
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