Effect of Temperature on the Fatigue Life Assessment of Suspension Bridge Steel Deck Welds under Dynamic Vehicle Loading

Abstract

The present study proposes a novel fatigue life prediction considering the temperature load, which may be neglected in the traditional assessment of suspension bridge steel deck welds under dynamic vehicle load. Vehicle fatigue, pavement temperature, and temperature gradient models are developed based on the test data from the weight-in-motion system, U-rib welds, pavement temperature, and environment temperature. The U-rib-to-deck and U-rib-to-U-rib welds fatigue stresses are obtained considering both vehicle and temperature loads with transient analysis method in ANSYS package. Then, the temperature gradient fatigue stress spectra are calculated. After that, the fatigue life of two weld types is predicted considering the coupled vehicle-temperature loads. The results indicate that the fatigue stress varies linearly with the temperature of the asphalt concrete. The effect of the temperature on the weld’s fatigue life decreases as the distance increases between the welds and the pavement. The dynamic vehicle load results in a higher fatigue stress than the temperature gradient, indicating that the vehicle load contributes mainly to the bridge’s fatigue damage. Finally, it is calculated that the fatigue damage of two weld types is magnified 5.06 and 1.50 times when the temperature effect is considered after 100-year service of Nanxi Yangtze River Bridge.

Safety Comparison of Simple and Spiral Horizontal Curves Based on Side Friction Factor Dynamic Modeling

“…In addition, various statistical analyses, machine learning, and optimization methods are recommended for further investigation [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Pavement failures can endanger trafc safety, and various additives and nanomaterials can be taken into account in this regard, which can be examined in a feld investigation that is in line with this study [35][36][37][38][39][40]. Simulation devices and vehicles can also be adopted in incorporation with the Internet of Tings (IoT), vehicle-mounted equipment, and sensors to develop the potential of driver motion and physiological signal monitoring [41][42][43][44][45].…”

Water Hammer Characteristics and Component Fatigue Analysis of the Essential Service Water System in Nuclear Power Plants

“…Through the relentless efforts of scholars, fatigue research has evolved into a comprehensive system that can be applied to engineering practice and has become a leading research area, largely through the utilization of finite element simulation analysis software. Fatigue simulation calculations enable the determination of the minimum number of cycles in different parts of the simulation model and the visualization of the fatigue life distribution on the object's surface using a cloud map on the model [16][17][18][19]. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is a virtual simulation that accurately responds to load stress and can provide precise simulations of fatigue endurance life [20][21][22][23][24].…”

Creep Properties and Analysis of Cross Arms’ Materials and Structures in Latticed Transmission Towers: Current Progress and Future Perspectives

“…As mentioned by Huang et al [ 81 ], creep failure of beams and structures under long-term service conditions is related to fatigue. These structures are often subjected to cyclic stress, which may reduce their ability to deform under axial stress, worsen their energy dissipation, raise their failure strength, and result in premature hardening [ 82 , 83 ]. According to Movahedi-Rad et al [ 84 ], the creep-fatigue loading pattern with a specific creep time at low stress levels does not influence the fatigue life.…”