Abstract
This paper presents a theoretical and numerical study on the stress intensity factors for double-edged cracked steel plates strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) plates. Based on the stress intensity factor solution for infinite center-cracked steel plates strengthened with FRP plates, expressions of the stress intensity factors were proposed for double-edged cracked steel plates strengthened with FRP plates by introducing two correction factors: β and f. A finite element (FE) simulation was carried out to calculate the stress intensity factors of the steel plate specimens. Numerous combinations of the specimen width, crack length, FRP thickness and Young’s modulus, adhesive thickness, and shear modulus were considered to conduct the parametric investigation. The FE results were used to investigate the main influencing factors of the stress intensity factors and the correction factor, β. The expression of the correction factor, β, was formulated and calibrated based on the FE results. The proposed expressions of the stress intensity factors were a function of the applied stress, the crack length, the ratio between the crack length and the width of the steel plate, the stiffness ratio between the FRP plate and steel plate, the adhesive thickness, and the shear modulus. Finally, the theoretical results and numerical results were compared to validate the proposed expressions.
Highlights
Steel structures subjected to cyclic loading are vulnerable to fatigue damage
In light of this research gap, this paper investigated the stress intensity factors of double-edged cracked steel plates strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) plates with theoretical and numerical methods
FRP thickness, FRP modulus, Young’s adhesive and adhesive modulus the stress based on numerical modulus,thickness, adhesive thickness, andshear adhesive shearon modulus onintensity the stressfactors intensity factors based on results
Summary
Steel structures subjected to cyclic loading are vulnerable to fatigue damage. Once fatigue cracks initiate, they may propagate at an increasing growth rate and cause catastrophic failure of the structures. In order to predict the crack growth behavior and fatigue life of an FRP-strengthened cracked steel member, many FE models corresponding to different crack lengths usually need to be developed to calculate the stress intensity factors at different crack lengths [14,16,24,26,27,28]. This procedure is sometimes time-consuming and inconvenient. The proposed expressions can be used to develop the expressions of the stress intensity factor for FRP-strengthened steel beams with double-edged cracks in tension flange
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