Simulation of Service Fatigue Loads for Short-Span Highway Bridges

Abstract

A mean stress range histogram and corresponding frequency distribution function for single truck crossings over short-span highway bridges, derived from 106 published histograms, is proposed. A major portion of this load history was applied to a welded transverse stiffener detail in blocks varying from 100 cycles to 100 000 cycles. When the number of cycles in the block was 1000 cycles or less, the block size had no significant effect on the total number of cycles to failure. Block loading simulated then random loading, and the root-mean-cube stress range provided a reasonable transfer function between block loading and constant amplitude cycling.