Fatigue Enhancement of Welded Details in Steel Bridges Using CFRP Overlay Elements
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 16, Issue 2
Abstract
Carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-overlay elements were developed with the purpose of enhancing the fatigue performance of welded connections in steel bridge girders. Fatigue tests of seven specimens, including four CFRP-strengthened specimens and three control specimens, were performed to quantify the effect of the CFRP overlays on the fatigue crack initiation lives of the welded connections. Results showed that bonding of CFRP overlays significantly reduced the stress demand on welded connections tested at high stress ranges, leading to a large increase in fatigue crack initiation life. The level of effectiveness of the CFRP-overlay elements in extending the fatigue crack initiation lives of the tested connections was found to be affected primarily by bond strength under cyclic loading; bond strength was found to be dependent on the composition and thickness of the resin layer used to bond the CFRP to the steel. With the AASHTO fatigue design curves as a frame of reference, it was found that when an optimal bond composition was employed, reinforcing the welded connections with CFRP overlays led to a change in fatigue performance category from that consistent with Category E to runout at high stress ranges. An optimal bond composition was identified that resulted in excellent performance under fatigue loading.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for support from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and the University of Kansas Transportation Research Institute (KU TRI). The authors also acknowledge support provided through Pooled Fund Study TPF-5(189), which includes the participating state DOTs of Kansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, as well as the Federal Highway Administration. The authors are also grateful to Builders Steel from Kansas City, Missouri, as they contributed to this study by donating materials and fabrication assistance.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 16 • Issue 2 • April 2012
Pages: 138 - 149
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 24, 2011
Accepted: Aug 15, 2011
Published online: Aug 17, 2011
Published in print: Apr 1, 2012
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