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Abstract

Orthotropic steel decks (OSDs) consist of a complex network of stiffeners and the deck plate itself. Working as a whole, it takes part in the structural working of the overall bridge, which in its turn results in a lightweight and durable deck concept. Orthotropic steel decks are nevertheless very sensitive to fatigue damage, because of the large number of welded connections. Innovative research focuses on the application of fracture mechanics as well as the influence of residual stresses on the fatigue lifetime. An analysing tool using Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) is proposed. Manufacturing processes such as welding cause residual stresses, which are present in most civil structures. Including these results in determining the fatigue life using LEFM leads to improved OSD lifetime. Overall, it can be stated that the OSD remains a valuable bridge concept, especially for larger span bridges, that can be understood better using modern research techniques.

Keywords

Fracture mechanics XFEM residual stresses fatigue orthotropic steel deck

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References

Eurocode 3, Part 2. Design of steel structures – Part 3: Steel bridges, EN 1993-2:2007/AC:2009, CENT/TC 250 – Structural Eurocodes, 2015.

Eurocode 3, Part 1-9. Design of steel structures – Part 1-9: Fatigue, EN 1993-1-9:2005/AC:2009, CENT/TC 250 – Structural Eurocodes, 2015.

Kolstein

. Fatigue classification of welded joints in orthotropic steel bridge decks, PhD thesis, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, 2007.

Nagy

, Diversi

, Van Bogaert

, De Backer

. Improved fatigue assessment techniques of connecting welds in orthotropic bridge decks, Proceedings of Eurosteel 2014 – 7th European Conference on Steel and Composite Structures, ECCS European Convention for Constructional Steelwork, Brussels, 2014.

De Backer

. Optimization of the fatigue behavior of the orthotropic plated bridge deck concept through better dispersion of traffic loads (in Dutch), Ghent University, Belgium, 2006.

FHWA-IF-12-027. Manual for Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Orthotropic Steel Deck Bridges, US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 2012.

Innovative fatigue design of orthotropic steel decks

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