Internal force transfer effect-based fatigue damage evaluation for PBL shear connector groups

Abstract

This study presents an analytical method to analyze fatigue damage in Perfobond rib (PBL) shear connector group under cyclic loading. A step-by-step calculation procedure is proposed and implemented to quantify the fatigue damage in PBL shear connector groups, considering the uneven shear force distribution at different layers of shear connectors. The fatigue life of the PBL shear connector group is evaluated, and the effect of uneven shear force distribution on fatigue life is studied. The investigation results indicate the coupling effect between fatigue damage and internal force distribution, and reveal that the fatigue damage indices are different at different layers of a PBL shear connector group. The uneven force distribution reduces the fatigue life of PBL shear connector group, and the unevenness decreases with the development of fatigue damage. The degree of fatigue damage in each layer of the PBL shear connectors is sensitive to the upper load level. The proposed approach offers an analytical tool for evaluating the fatigue behavior of PBL shear connector groups.