Fatigue-Proofing Cover Plates
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 12, Issue 3
Abstract
The writers summarize all fatigue test data for cover plates on steel beams that were reported since 1969. The earlier studies established the fatigue strength of thin cover plates of Category E fatigue strength as well as thick cover plates of Category fatigue strength. The later studies focused on improving the fatigue strength. The various techniques increased the mean fatigue life over that of Category E by factors of 1.5, 2.1, and 4.4 for ground, shot-peened, and remelted toes of the end welds, respectively; 6.5 for end-welding and grinding the cover plate ends to a 1:3 taper; 19 and more for bolting the ends that were left nonwelded; 18 and 13 for bridging the welded ends of noncracked and precracked cover plates, respectively, with bolted splices; and over 20 for adhesive-bonding the entire cover plate and bolting the ends. The last three methods cited above would fatigue proof rolled beams with cover plates typical of multigirder highway bridges.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 12 • Issue 3 • May 2007
Pages: 275 - 283
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 18, 2005
Accepted: Dec 13, 2005
Published online: May 1, 2007
Published in print: May 2007
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