Abstract
Abstract This work studies the fatigue live load model used in Brazil for highway bridges. Using the unlimited fatigue life approach, the current live load model is evaluated in relation to the actual traffic and a new fatigue live load model is proposed. Weigh-in-motion (WIM) stations data on two important Brazilian highways are used. The main structural analysis performed in this paper consider the bridges as box girders or multiple girders. The ratio between real traffic and the live load model load effect (bias factor) are determined for single and continuous spans in terms of bending moment and shear force. It is found that the bias factor of the current live load can vary a lot and may not ensure unlimited fatigue life. The proposed model, on the other hand, presents more uniform bias factors and is in accordance with the unlimited fatigue life approach for the WIM data.
Highlights
The highway bridges are susceptible to the fatigue as they are subjected to live load from the traffic
This work performed an assessment of the Brazilian live load model for fatigue in highway bridges
The present analysis considered real traffic data from two different high speed weigh-in-motion stations (HS-WIM) stations located in two major highways in Brazil: BR381 and BR-290
Summary
The highway bridges are susceptible to the fatigue as they are subjected to live load from the traffic. Fatigue can be described as the process by which the damage in a given material is generated by stress fluctuations. This damage may result in the structural rupture of the component, even if the highest applied stress is below the elastic limit of the material.
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