Abstract
Fatigue is an important failure mode for large suspension bridges under traffic loadings. However, large suspension bridges have so many attributes that it is difficult to analyze their fatigue damage using experimental measurement methods. Numerical simulation is a feasible method of studying such fatigue damage. In British standards, the finite element method (FEM) is recommended as a rigorous method for steel bridge fatigue analysis. This chapter aims at developing a model of a large suspension steel bridge using finite element methods for fatigue stress analysis. The Tsing Ma Bridge (TMB) is selected for a case study and the corresponding finite element model is presented. The verification of the model is carried out with the help of the measured bridge modal characteristics and the online data measured by the structural health monitoring system installed on the bridge. The results show that the constructed finite element (FE) model is efficient for bridge dynamic analysis. Global structural analyses using the developed FE model are presented to determine the components of the nominal stress generated by railway loadings and some typical highway loadings. The critical locations in the bridge main span are also identified with the numerical results of the global FE stress analysis. The FE model can serve as a basis for evaluating fatigue damage and the remaining life of the bridge can then be evaluated.
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