Laboratory Tests of Bolted Diaphragm-Girder Connections
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 3, Issue 2
Abstract
Many multigirder steel bridges built before 1985 are experiencing distortion-induced fatigue cracking at diaphragm-girder connections. Fatigue cracks in the welds and base metal in hundreds of diaphragm-girder connections in bridges in the Birmingham, Ala. area have been discovered. Many of the welded connections have been replaced with angles bolted to the diaphragm and girder web. The replacement angles have not performed satisfactorily due to fatigue cracking in the connection angle. Laboratory tests of three existing and one proposed replacement angle were conducted to determine the fatigue limit for the replacement angles and the most appropriate replacement angle to use on future repairs. Primarily, surface strain measurements and vertical girder deflections due to fatigue loading were recorded during fatigue tests of the laboratory model to evaluate the performance of the connections. Results indicate that the appropriate bending stress fatigue limit is 165 MPa and the proposed new replacement angle should be used for future repairs.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Fisher, J. W. (1976). “Bridge fatigue guide-design and details.” Am. Inst. of Steel Constr., Chicago, Ill.
2.
Fisher, J. W., Yen, B. T., and Wang, D. (1987). “Fatigue and fracture evaluation for rating riveted bridges.”NCHRP Rep. 302, Nat. Cooperative Hwy. Res. Program, Dec.
3.
Stallings, J. M., Cousins, T. E., and Tedesco, J. W. (1996). “Fatigue of diaphragm-girder connections.” Auburn Univ. Hwy. Res. Ctr., Rep. RP930-307, Auburn, Ala.
4.
Standard specifications for highway bridges. (1992). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C.
5.
Wilson, W.(1940). “Design of connection angles for stringers of railway bridges.”Am. Railway Engrg. Assoc., 41, 889–903.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: May 1, 1998
Published in print: May 1998
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.