FATIGUE OF CURVED STEEL BRIDGE ELEMENTS--FATIGUE TESTS OF CURVED PLATE GIRDER ASSEMBLIES

Research on the fatigue behavior of horizontally curved, steel bridge elements was conducted at Lehigh University under the sponsorship of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The investigation is centered on the effect of welded details on curved girder fatigue strength. Fatigue tests of five full-scale curved plate girder assemblies are a part of the investigation. The fatigue behavior of five types of welded details from AASHTO Categories C and E in monitored while undergoing two million constant amplitude load cycles on the assemblies. Primary fatigue cracking due to in-plane bending and torsion was observed as well as secondary fatigue cracking due to out-of-plane bending of the web. The web performance under fatigue loading was also observed. The observation of primary fatigue cracking at the welded details indicates that their fatigue behavior, on curved plate girders, is adequately described by the present AASHTO Category C and Category E design guidelines for straight girders. Groove-welded lateral attachments with circular transitions and secondary fatigue cracking of details at diaphragm locations are problem areas. The web performance demonstrated that allowable stress provisions for web slenderness ratios and transverse stiffener spacing are adequate in the AASHTO specifications and overly stringent in CURT guidelines. (FHWA)

• Corporate Authors:

  Lehigh University

  Fritz Engineering Laboratory
  Bethlehem, PA  United States  18015

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hartley, J
  • Herbein, W C
• Publication Date: 1980-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 150 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bending; Curved bridges; Curves (Geometry); Fatigue tests; Fracture mechanics; Girders; Joints; Loads; Metal bridges; Steel bridges; Torsion; Welds
• Uncontrolled Terms: Welded joints
• Old TRIS Terms: Curved steel girders
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00315051
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-79-133 Intrm Rpt., FCP 35F2-052
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 5 1980 12:00AM