Fatigue Design For Steel Bridges

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Fatigue Design for Steel Bridges

• 1. Basic fundamentals of Fracture Mechanics
(Crack initiation)
Load Induced Fatigue Design for Steel Bridges • 2. Fatigue Strength
according to the AASHTO
• 3. Fatigue Design According to the AASHTO
• 4. Example (Load-Induced Design)
Fatigue Life Crack Initiation Period

• Fatigue life is split into crack initiation and propagation • The fatigue-crack-initiation life is defined as the number
stages of stress cycles (N) within a load history to develop and
grow a crack to a specific crack size (acrit)
• The most significant portion of the structures fatigue life
is in the crack propagation stage • Microscopic cracks form under casting and grow under
normal operating loads
• Critical crack sizes dictate the transition of the crack
• The number of loading cycles to which the member is
initiation stages and crack propagation stages
subjected
• The type of detail under examination
• Stress-Based Method • The stress range at the location of the detail
(crack-initiation period)
• Fracture Mechanics
(crack-propagation period)
Five Cases of Crack Process around a crack tip
• Crack Initiation: The cyclic stress range causes the initiation of
fatigue cracks, fatigue crack propagation, and eventually brittle
fracture of the cracked component.
Process around a crack tip Crack Growth Modeling

• A crack in a structure can grow under repeated applications
of stress that are large enough in range
d C ∆K
dN
• Because the stresses at the crack tip are so small in fatigue
problems, the plastic zone is limited and the stress field
behavior can be modeled as linear-elastic
• Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is therefore a

useful tool for fatigue crack propagation life prediction
• Paris model is most widely used model in linear elastic

Stress state in the vicinity of a crack tip loaded in tension fracture mechanics for the prediction of crack growth
Finite Element Modeling
• Finite element models account for crack geometry
Fatigue life vs. Stress Range
• In finite element models, the crack is treated as an
• S-N curve
integral part of the structure, and can be modeled in as
much detail to accurately reflect the structural load
paths, both near and far from the crack tip
∆
2
4 1
Flaw Fatigue Limit

CAFL Infinite-Life AASHTO Fatigue Limit
Design rules by AASHTO Fatigue Design Provision
• AASHTO provisions are based on the load and resistance factored

design (LRFD) philosophy
• Current LRFD provisions recommend that fatigue should be

categorized as load – induced fatigue or distortion-induced fatigue
S-N curve for various detail categories based on AASHTO

AASHTO Fatigue detail categories AASHTO Fatigue detail categories
AASHTO Fatigue detail categories

Fatigue Design Criteria
Design Truck ∆f = the live load stress range due to passage of the fatigue load
(∆F)n = the nominal fatigue resistance
(∆F)TH = the constant amplitude fatigue threshold stress, same as CAFL
γ = the load factor for the fatigue load combination (γ = 075 for fatigue)
A = numerical constants determined from regression analysis of test data
N = number of stress cycles
N A (Ct)
• N = (n) (365) (Y) [ p (ADTT) ]
ADTTSL = the number of trucks per day in a single lane

= p (ADTT)
ADTT = the number of trucks per day in one direction
p = a factor reflecting the number of lanes available to trucks
Y = design life in years
n = number of cycles that take place at stress range level
p n
Example
ADTT and ADTTSL
• In the absence of better information ADTTSL can be estimated as
(ADTT)SL = p x ADTT
• ADTT = number of trucks per day in one direction averaged over the
design life
Given:
• W24 x 68 with a ½ in. thick cover plate narrower than the flange
- (flange thickness of 0.585 inch)
• Welded Joint Joining Components of Built-up Members
• (ADTT) = 8,000
• Simply supported
• Span length = 34 ft
• Rural interstate with two truck lanes
• Cover plate (narrower than the flange) with flange thickness
• 75 Years of life
Estimate No. of Fatigue Cycles Estimate the Fatigue Strength

Load Induced Fatigue Design • (F)n = (F)TH
• Annual Daily Truck Traffic (ADTT) = 8,000
• Cover plate (narrower than the flange) with flange thickness < 0.8 in.
• (ADTT)SL = p x ADTT
where p = 0.85 for 2 lanes available to trucks • Therefore, Category E detail
(ADTT)SL = 0.85 x 8000 = 6800 • From the table: A (CT) = 11.0 x 108 and (F)TH = 4.5 ksi
• Number of fatigue cycles, N = (365) (75) (ADTTSL) n • Therefore, (F)n = [(11.0 x 108)/(3.723 x 108)]1/3 = 1.43 ksi,
- N = 186.15 x 106 xn but, (F)n > ½ (4.5) = 2.25 ksi
- For a simply supported girder with span length < 40 ft., n = 2
• Therefore, the constant amplitude fatigue threshold controls
• Therefore, N = 372.3 x 106 cycles • The applied fatigue stress range 0.75(f) must be < 2.25 ksi
• The cover-plate can be curtailed to the point where the stress range in the steel
beam alone is less than 2.25 ksi

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• 4. Example (Load-Induced Design)

Fatigue Life Crack Initiation Period

Process around a crack tip Crack Growth Modeling

• Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is therefore a

• Paris model is most widely used model in linear elastic

Flaw Fatigue Limit

Design rules by AASHTO Fatigue Design Provision

• AASHTO provisions are based on the load and resistance factored

• Current LRFD provisions recommend that fatigue should be

S-N curve for various detail categories based on AASHTO

AASHTO Fatigue detail categories

ADTTSL = the number of trucks per day in a single lane

Estimate No. of Fatigue Cycles Estimate the Fatigue Strength

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