Identifying Effective and Ineffective Retrofits for Distortion Fatigue Cracking in Steel Bridges Using Field Instrumentation
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 11, Issue 6
Abstract
It is estimated that nearly 90% of all fatigue cracking is the result of out-of-plane distortion or other unanticipated secondary stresses at fatigue-sensitive details. Neither design specifications nor evaluation specifications provide any guidance on how to evaluate the in-service potential for fatigue cracking at these details. Often, as a result, the effectiveness of various retrofit procedures is questionable and ill fated. There are many examples where implemented retrofit procedures did not work and fatigue cracking reinitiated or continued. Implementation of one or two prototype retrofits is an attractive alternative to ensuring effective retrofits are developed where many details have to be retrofitted. Field instrumentation and testing is an effective means to determine the effectiveness and behavior of a given retrofit strategy. Behavior that may not be anticipated can be identified prior to installing retrofits on a large scale, thereby preventing future problems. This paper provides guidance on how to instrument these details and examines one example where initial retrofit strategies did not work, as demonstrated by their performance through field instrumentation.
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Acknowledgments
This paper draws upon the results of studies supported by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The writers appreciate the owner’s support of this research and permitting the use of this information for the preparation of this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 11 • Issue 6 • November 2006
Pages: 745 - 752
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 9, 2004
Accepted: Nov 7, 2005
Published online: Nov 1, 2006
Published in print: Nov 2006
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