Fracture Toughness Characterization of High-Performance Steel for Bridge Girder Applications
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 31, Issue 4
Abstract
The use of high-performance steel (HPS) in new bridge construction continues to increase as engineers and owners recognize the potential for cost savings and performance benefits. One intended advantage of HPS is the increase in fracture toughness when compared with conventional bridge steel. However, limited research has characterized HPS fracture toughness, and current material specifications provide no opportunity for owners to benefit from the improved performance resulting from increased fracture toughness. This paper presents the fracture toughness testing and analysis of eight A709 HPS 485W (70W) and 690W (100W) steel plates. The resulting fracture toughness values are used to determine tolerable flaw sizes for a representative girder flange. A comparison is made with tolerable flaw sizes based on toughness estimations from the current fracture critical material toughness specification. The results indicate that HPS is exhibiting toughness far in excess of current specification requirements.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Bill Wright for his involvement on this project. They would also like to thank Richard Link, Jim Joyce, and Steve Graham of the United States Naval Academy for their advice and assistance. Funding for this study was provided by TPF-5(238). The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the position of the FHWA.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 31 • Issue 4 • April 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 13, 2018
Accepted: Sep 10, 2018
Published online: Feb 11, 2019
Published in print: Apr 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jul 11, 2019
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