Abstract
The fatigue analysis on orthotropic steel bridge decks is a hot topic in bridge engineering field. This study provides one method for fatigue analysis under the combined actions of vehicle loads and pavement temperature. To be specific, taking the steel bridge deck of one cable-stayed bridge as a research object, this study proposes a method of calculating life-cycle fatigue damage of orthotropic steel deck under the combined actions of vehicle loads and pavement temperature. First, a finite element model of steel bridge deck with asphalt pavement is built to analyze the influence of pavement temperature on the fatigue stress of steel bridge deck. Second, a simulation method of fatigue stress caused by random vehicle loads is proposed. Finally, a method of calculating the life-cycle fatigue damage of welded joints under the combined actions of vehicle loads and temperature is proposed. The results show that temperature has a significant effect on fatigue damage, and the cumulative fatigue damage in the rib-to-rib welded joint is significantly greater than that in the deck-to-rib welded joint. The results can provide meaningful references for bridge engineers to carry out fatigue analysis on orthotropic steel bridge decks.
Highlights
A method of calculating the life-cycle fatigue damage of welded joints under the combined actions of vehicle loads and temperature is proposed. e results show that temperature has a significant effect on fatigue damage, and the cumulative fatigue damage in the rib-to-rib welded joint is significantly greater than that in the deck-to-rib welded joint. e results can provide meaningful references for bridge engineers to carry out fatigue analysis on orthotropic steel bridge decks
It can be seen that the peak values of fatigue stresses increase as the pavement temperature increases, indicating that temperature has an effect on fatigue stresses. e reason is that the change of pavement temperature alters the elastic modulus of pavement, which further affects the transfer pressures in the pavement caused by vehicle loads
In this study, using the orthotropic steel bridge deck of a cable-stayed bridge as a case study, a method is proposed for calculating the life-cycle fatigue damage in the welded joints of steel bridge deck under the combined actions of vehicle loads and pavement temperature. e main conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) e peak values of fatigue stresses increase as pavement temperature increases, indicating that temperature has an effect on fatigue stresses. e reason is that temperature change in pavement alters the elastic modulus of pavement, which further affects the transfer pressures in the pavement caused by vehicle loads
Summary
Erefore, to simulate the effect of asphalt pavement temperature on the fatigue damage, it is necessary to establish a finite element model of steel bridge deck with asphalt pavement. Is model has been validated using the monitoring data of temperature and fatigue stress [7]. Equation (2) is used to calculate the elastic modulus of asphalt pavements at different temperatures [10]. E pavement temperature ranges from − 10°C to 60°C. rough finite element simulation, the fatigue stresses of the two welded joints at different temperatures are obtained, with the curves at − 10°C, 10°C, 30°C, and 50°C shown in Figures 3 and 4, respectively. It can be analogized that the fatigue stresses at any temperature T at any other time t can be calculated
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