Fatigue Strength of Retrofitted Cover Plates
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 110, Issue 6
Abstract
The fatigue strength of cover plate ends, retrofitted with splice plates and high strength bolts in friction, was determined experimentally. The flanges at the cover plate ends were noncracked, half precracked, or fully precracked prior to retrofitting. The first condition applies to rehabilitation, the others to repair of cover plated girders. The mean fatigue life of the retrofitted noncracked cover plates exceeded the AASHTO Category B mean and was 18.2 times longer than the Category E mean. The difference in the fatigue lives of the retrofitted half precracked and fully precracked cover plates was statistically insignificant. Their combined mean life was a factor of 12.9 longer than the Category E mean. Web cracks were arrested by drilling a hole at the crack tip and installing a high strength bolt. Cover plate ends retrofitted as recommended in this study are fatigue proof when subjected to highway bridge loading.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 110 • Issue 6 • June 1984
Pages: 1374 - 1388
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jun 1, 1984
Published in print: Jun 1984
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