FATIGUE LIFE OF CRITICAL MEMBERS IN A RAILWAY TRUSS BRIDGE

The fatigue life of critical members, such as hangers, floor beams and stringers in a single track, open deck railroad truss bridge, was investigated for various unit freight trains, operating at different speeds. A partial bridge model was used, along with a three-car train, to determine the stress cycles. For determining the fatigue lives of critical members, four fully-loaded trains per day were assumed to pass over the bridge. Each train was assumed to consist of one hundred, 70-ton cars or seventy, 100-ton cars. The 100-ton freight cars cause a larger stress range, and consequently shorter fatigue lives than the 70-ton freight cars. For the hundred car train, with 70-ton and 100-ton cars mixed in various proportions, the fatigue lives became shorter as the percentage of 100-ton cars in the consist was increased. The impact percentages were also studied.

• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • Wiriyachai, A
  • Chu, K H
  • Garg, V K
• Publication Date: 1981-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 41 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Dynamic tests; Fatigue (Mechanics); High capacity cars; Impact loads; Stresses; Stringers; Structural analysis; Truss bridges; Vibration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dynamic analysis; Fatigue life
• Old TRIS Terms: Bridge stresses; Bridge stringers; Impact loading
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00334730
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: AAR R-472 Tech Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 9 1981 12:00AM