Abstract
The paper summarises an experimental study on the fatigue crack propagation and cracks paths in ancient steel—19th-century puddle iron from the Eiffel bridge. The tests were performed with the load R-ratio equal to 0.05 and 0.5. All tests were performed under different notch inclinations (mode I + II). The fatigue crack growth rate in the tested material is significantly higher than its “modern” equivalent—low carbon mild steel. The crack closure phenomenon occurs in specimens during the process of crack growth. Understanding this aspect is crucial for the examination of a stress R-ratio influence on kinetic fatigue fracture diagram (KFFD) description. Both the experimental and numerical approach, using the HP VEE environment, has been applied to the crack closure as well as the crack opening forces’ estimation. These analyses are based on the deformation of the hysteresis loop. The algorithm that was implemented in the numerical environment is promising when it comes to describing the kinetics of fatigue crack growth (taking into consideration the crack closure effect) in old metallic materials.
Highlights
Maintaining the usefulness and reliability of ancient bridge structures requires precise methods of diagnostics and evaluation of the technical condition, often deviating from procedures based on technical recommendations for modern steel engineering structures
The effects of the study of 19th-century structural elements derived from the Eiffel Bridge were presented
The most important mechanical properties of the material collected from the Eiffel bridge were obtained using metallographic inspections and a simple uniaxial tensile test
Summary
Maintaining the usefulness and reliability of ancient bridge structures requires precise methods of diagnostics and evaluation of the technical condition, often deviating from procedures based on technical recommendations for modern steel engineering structures. In the case of buildings erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, the diversity of operating conditions and the peculiarities of the materials used for their construction requires an individualised approach in the assessment of their structural conditions. In the case of bridge structures erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, the diversity of operating conditions and the peculiarities of the materials used for such types of construction requires an individualised approach in the assessment of their technical condition, with particular regard to the phenomenon of fatigue. These circumstances should be circumstances should be considered while estimating the safety of structures built using the considered estimating safety of structures built using mentioned type of of materials.
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