Computer Modeling and Weight Limit Analysis for Bridge Structure Fatigue Using OpenSEES
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 8
Abstract
With the increasing demand in freight transportation, truck overloading has become a common issue worldwide. Overloaded trucks pose great challenges for transportation administration in that they can jeopardize the safety of bridges and even lead to bridge collapse. Traditionally, vehicle-induced damage on bridges was estimated based on the line-girder analysis, as suggested by bridge design codes. These analysis methods have been criticized to overly underestimate the bridge capacity. In this study, the fatigue damage (FD) of a typical composite girder bridge under truck overloading was investigated using the OpenSEES framework. The bridge system was regarded as a series-parallel system composed of concrete deck slab and a steel girder subsystem. A method for determining rational vehicle weight limits for highway bridges to achieve the desired service life was proposed considering the FD of bridges. The proposed method could also be used for estimating the FD of bridges caused by truck overloading. Numerical simulation results obtained from this study have shown that the cumulative FD of bridges under severe overloading conditions could increase rapidly, and it may threaten the safety of bridges, which underscores the importance of enforcing truck weight regulations on highway bridges.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 51778222), the China Scholarship Council (Grant 201706130087), and the Key Research Project of Hunan Province (Grant 2017SK2224).
References
AASHTO. 2017. LRFD bridge design specifications. 6th ed. Washington, DC: AASHTO.
AASHTO. 2018. The manual for bridge evaluation. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: AASHTO.
Aas-Jakobsen, K., and R. Lenschow. 1973. “Behavior of reinforced columns subjected to fatigue loadings.” ACI J. 70 (3): 199–206.
ASCE. 2017. “2017 Infrastructure Report Card.” Accessed June 20, 2017. https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/bridges/.
Bae, H., and M. G. Oliva. 2010. Bridge analysis and evaluation of effects under overload vehicles. Rep. No. CFIRE02-03. Madison, WI: Univ. of Wisconsin.
Bosco, M., and L. Tirca. 2017. “Numerical simulation of steel I-shaped beams using a fiber-based damage accumulation model.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 133 (Jun): 241–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2017.02.020.
Brühwiler, E., and A. Herwig. 2008. “Consideration of dynamic traffic action effects on existing bridges at ultimate limit state.” In Proc., IABMAS’08: 4th Int. Conf. on Bridge Maintenance, Safety and Management, edited by H. M. Koh and D. M. Frangopol, 3675–3682. London: Taylor & Francis.
Committee for the Truck Weight Study. 1990. Truck weight limits: Issues and options. TRB Special Rep. 225. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council.
Connor, R., I. Hodgson, H. Mahmoud, and C. Bowman. 2005. Field testing and fatigue evaluation of the I-79 Neville Island Bridge over the Ohio River. Atlass Rep. No. 05-02. Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh Univ. Center for Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems.
Czarnecki, A. A., and A. S. Nowak. 2008. “Time-variant reliability profiles for steel girder bridges.” Struct. Saf. 30 (1): 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strusafe.2006.05.002.
Deng, L., and C. Cai. 2010. “Bridge model updating using response surface method and genetic algorithm.” J. Bridge Eng. 15 (5): 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000092.
Deng, L., and W. Yan. 2018. “Vehicle weight limits and overload permit checking considering the cumulative fatigue damage of bridges.” J. Bridge Eng. 23 (7): 04018045. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001267.
Deng, L., W. Yan, and L. Nie. 2019. “A simple corrosion fatigue design method for bridges considering the coupled corrosion-overloading effect.” Eng. Struct. 178 (Jan): 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.10.028.
Downing, S. D., and D. F. Socie. 1982. “Simple rainflow counting algorithms.” Int. J. Fatigue 4 (1): 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-1123(82)90018-4.
Eamon, C., and A. Nowak. 2002. “Effects of edge-stiffening elements and diaphragms on bridge resistance and load distribution.” J. Bridge Eng. 7 (5): 258–266. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2002)7:5(258).
Estes, A., and D. Frangopol. 1999. “Repair optimization of highway bridges using system reliability approach.” J. Struct. Eng. 125 (7): 766–775. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1999)125:7(766).
Fatemi, A., and L. Yang. 1998. “Cumulative fatigue damage and life prediction theories: A survey of the state of the art for homogeneous materials.” Int. J. Fatigue 20 (1): 9–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-1123(97)00081-9.
Gheitasi, A., and D. Harris. 2014. “Failure characteristics and ultimate load-carrying capacity of redundant composite steel girder bridges: Case study.” J. Bridge Eng. 20 (3): 05014012. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000667.
Gheitasi, A., and D. Harris. 2016. “Redundancy and operational safety of composite stringer bridges with deteriorated girders.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 30 (2): 04015022. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000764.
González, A., D. Cantero, and E. J. OBrien. 2011. “Dynamic increment for shear force due to heavy vehicles crossing a highway bridge.” Comput. Struct. 89 (23–24): 2261–2272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2011.08.009.
Guo, T., and Y. W. Chen. 2013. “Fatigue reliability analysis of steel bridge details based on field-monitored data and linear elastic fracture mechanics.” Struct. Infrastruct. Eng. 9 (5): 496–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2011.568508.
Guo, T., D. M. Frangopol, and Y. Chen. 2012. “Fatigue reliability assessment of steel bridge details integrating weigh-in-motion data and probabilistic finite element analysis.” Comput. Struct. 112–113 (Dec): 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2012.09.002.
Harris, D. K., and A. Gheitasi. 2013. “Implementation of an energy-based stiffened plate formulation for lateral load distribution characteristics of girder-type bridges.” Eng. Struct. 54 (Sep): 168–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2013.04.002.
Jiang, J., and A. Usmani. 2013. “Modeling of steel frame structures in fire using OpenSees.” Comput. Struct. 118 (Mar): 90–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2012.07.013.
Jung, D., and B. Andrawes. 2018. “Seismic damage assessment of SMA-retrofitted multiple-frame bridge subjected to strong main shock–aftershock excitations.” J. Bridge Eng. 23 (1): 04017113. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001164.
Kashani, M. M., L. N. Lowes, A. J. Crewe, and N. A. Alexander. 2015. “Phenomenological hysteretic model for corroded reinforcing bars including inelastic buckling and low-cycle fatigue degradation.” Comput. Struct. 156 (Aug): 58–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2015.04.005.
Kostem, C. N. 1982. Further parametric studies on the overloading of highway bridges. FHWA-PA-RD-77-2-1. Bethlehem, PA: Fritz Engineering Laboratory, Lehigh Univ.
Kwon, K., D. Frangopol, and M. Soliman. 2012. “Probabilistic fatigue life estimation of steel bridges by using a bilinear S-N approach.” J. Bridge Eng. 17 (1): 58–70. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000225.
Mohammadi, J., and R. Polepeddi. 2000. “Bridge rating with consideration for fatigue damage from overloads.” J. Bridge Eng. 5 (3): 259–265. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2000)5:3(259).
Moshiri, M., and J. Montufar. 2016. “Existing bridge formulas for truck-weight regulation from international jurisdictions and resulting load stresses on single-span bridges.” J. Transp. Eng. 142 (1): 04015038. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000810.
NBI (National Bridge Inventory). 2015. “Deficient bridges by superstructure material 2015.” Bridges and Structures. Accessed December 31, 2015. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi/no10/mat15.cfm.
Nowak, A., H. Nassif, and L. DeFrain. 1993. “Effect of truck loads on bridges.” J. Transp. Eng. 119 (6): 853–867. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-947X(1993)119:6(853).
Oh, B. H. 1991. “Cumulative damage theory of concrete under variable-amplitude fatigue loadings.” Mater. J. 88 (1): 41–48.
Schilling, C. 1984. “Stress cycles for fatigue design of steel bridges.” J. Struct. Eng. 110 (6): 1222–1234. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1984)110:6(1222).
Schilling, C. G., and K. H. Klippstein. 1978. “New method for fatigue design of bridges.” J. Struct. Div. 104 (3): 425–438.
Schläfli, M., and E. Brühwiler. 1998. “Fatigue of existing reinforced concrete bridge deck slabs.” Eng. Struct. 20 (11): 991–998. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-0296(97)00194-6.
Scott, M., A. Kidarsa, and C. Higgins. 2008. “Development of bridge rating applications using OpenSees and Tcl.” J. Comput. Civ. Eng. 22 (4): 264–271. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3801(2008)22:4(264).
Siekmann, A., G. Capps, and M. B. L. Hudson. 2011. Preliminary assessment of overweight mainline vehicles. ORNL/TM-2011/463. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Sofi, F., and J. Steelman. 2017. “Parametric influence of bearing restraint on nonlinear flexural behavior and ultimate capacity of steel girder bridges.” J. Bridge Eng. 22 (7): 04017033. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001065.
Tepfers, R., and T. Kutti. 1979. “Fatigue strength of plain ordinary and lightweight concrete.” ACI J. 76 (5): 635–652.
Wang, T., C. Liu, D. Huang, and M. Shahawy. 2005. “Truck loading and fatigue damage analysis for girder bridges based on weigh-in-motion data.” J. Bridge Eng. 10 (1): 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2005)10:1(12).
Wang, W., L. Deng, and X. Shao. 2016. “Number of stress cycles for fatigue design of simply-supported steel I-girder bridges considering the dynamic effect of vehicle loading.” Eng. Struct. 110 (Mar): 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2015.11.054.
Wood, S., N. Akinci, J. Liu, and M. D. Bowman. 2007. Long-term effects of super heavy-weight vehicles on bridges. FHWA/IN/JTRP-2007/10. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue Univ.
Yan, W., L. Deng, and X. Yin. 2016. “Allowable slope change of approach slabs based on the interacted vibration with passing vehicles.” KSCE J. Civ. Eng. 20 (6): 2469–2482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-015-0466-1.
Yang, D. H., T. H. Yi, and N. H. Li. 2017. “Coupled fatigue-corrosion failure analysis and performance assessment of RC bridge deck slabs.” J. Bridge Eng. 22 (10): 04017077. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001108.
Yang, S. I., D. M. Frangopol, and L. C. Neves. 2004. “Service life prediction of structural systems using lifetime functions with emphasis on bridges.” Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 86 (1): 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2003.12.009.
Yu, Y., L. Deng, W. Wang, and C. S. Cai. 2017. “Local impact analysis for deck slabs of prestressed concrete box-girder bridges subject to vehicle loading.” J. Vib. Control 23 (1): 31–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077546315575434.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 8 • August 2019
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2018
Accepted: Mar 27, 2019
Published online: May 20, 2019
Published in print: Aug 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Oct 20, 2019
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.