FATIGUE DAMAGE IN THE LEHIGH CANAL BRIDGE

Strains were measured at several structural steel details of one of the Lehigh Canal Bridges under normal traffic during a pilot study. Since these bridges have several fatigue cracks in the tie plates connecting the floor beams to the outrigger cantilever brackets, the primary focus was on the tie plates and the cause of fatigue cracking. Strain gages were mounted on five tie plates, on a stringer, and on the longitudinal girders. An automatic computer-controlled data acquisition system was used to record the strain range occurrences. In addition, an analog trace recorder was used to determine the live-load strain variations with time.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation, Harrisburg.
• Corporate Authors:

  Lehigh University

  Fritz Engineering Laboratory
  Bethlehem, PA  United States  18015

  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

  Commonwealth and Forster Streets
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17120
• Authors:
  • Fisher, J W
  • Yen, B T
  • Marchica, N V
• Publication Date: 1974-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 53 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction joints; Cracking; Data collection; Fracture mechanics; Highway bridges; Joints; Live loads; Mechanical fatigue; Pavement widening; Splice plates; Steel; Steel plates; Streets; Structural analysis; Structural members; Structural steel; Variables; Welds
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack propagation; Welded joints
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
• Old TRIS Terms: Street widening; Variations
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00091422
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FEL-286.1 Intrm Rpt.
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 15 1975 12:00AM