The effect of κ-carbides on high cycle fatigue behavior of a Fe-Mn-Al-C lightweight steel

Numerous studies have demonstrated the viability of lightweight Fe-Mn-Al-C steels for exhibiting an improved balance of high strength and high ductility in automotive applications. However, their high-cycle fatigue behaviour has been scarcely studied. This work examines the effect of κ-carbides formed during the aging treatment on the high...

Fatigue design investigation of the main- to cross-girder connection in steel railway bridges: A study on the beam railway bridges of the Oostertoegang in Amsterdam

Over the past few decades, the Netherlands has built numerous steel railway bridges to improve its infrastructure. The repeated loading from railway traffic makes steel bridges susceptible to fatigue damage. The stress ranges at fatigue-prone locations are generally higher in railway bridges than in road traffic bridges. Due to the limited space...

Reuse potential of the Van Brienenoord arch bridge: Fatigue and corrosion damage evaluation of structural steel elements

The building and construction industry is one of the main polluting sectors contributing to climate change, and is responsible for around 37% of global CO2 emissions. A circular approach is needed to address the global demand for construction materials and resources in a sustainable way. Steel is a commonly used material in construction and...

Experimental and numerical validation of an innovative OSD strengthening with a bonded and bolted plate

For the renovation of the Suurhoff bridge, Arup decided to design and propose a new, innovative strengthening scheme, which improves the fatigue performance of the bridge deck and extends the design life of the bridge by at least 15 years. In this strengthening scheme, a steel plate is placed on top of the existing deck plate with a layer of...

Conventional vs. reinforced resin injected connectors’ behaviour in static, fatigue and creep experiments on slip-resistant steel-FRP joints

Due to constantly increasing traffic loads and ageing infrastructure, innovative materials for implementation in renovation and new bridge construction projects are gaining attention. One such innovation is hybrid structures consisting of Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composite decks connected to a steel girder(s) superstructure. By...

Finite element analysis of the closed stiffener to crossbeam connection in OSDs using the hot spot stress approach

An Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) is suspectable to fatigue and this forms an important design criterium. In this research the rib-to-crossbeam connection with a cope hole is studied using Finite Element Methods (FEM). The fatigue assessment is performed with the hot spot stress method making use of surface stress extrapolation. Two fatigue cracks...

Finite element modelling of open longitudinal stiffener to crossbeam connection in OSD bridges for hot-spot stress determination

The phenomenon of fatigue in orthotropic steel deck (OSD) bridges is a predominant problem because of complexity of the prediction methods. In the past, many researchers have studied the fatigue behaviour of various details in OSDs via both experiments and Finite Element Modelling (FEM). In the present research, the connection of open stiffener...

Predicting the Pit-to-Crack Transition of Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations: A mechanistic determination

Offshore wind turbines are designed to persist harsh environmental conditions, including corrosion. Pitting corrosion is one of the most dangerous forms of corrosion. In combination with a fatigue loading, a corrosion pit could result into the failure of a structure, due to a minimal weight reduction. Of the corrosion fatigue process, the...

Fracture Mechanics: Application on Orthotropic Steel Decks

In the course of this thesis, a research has been conducted to the application of fracture mechanics on an othotropic steel deck (OSD). Obtaining accurate predictions of crack path and fatigue life assessment were the main objectives for this thesis. As 3D crack propagation modelling in orthotropic steel decks is an arduous task, simpler studies...

Fatigue strength of repaired welded connections made of very high strength steels

Modern steel manufacturing techniques make it possible to produce steel with the nominal yield strength up to 1300 MPa for structural purposes. However, the application of very high strength steels is still limited in the civil engineering structures due to lack of knowledge about the effects of the manufacturing process and experimental results...

Committee III.2: Fatigue and Fracture

Concern for crack initiation and growth under cyclic loading as well as unstable crack propagation and tearing in the ship and offshore structures. Due attention shall be paid to the suitability and uncertainty of physical models and testing. Consideration is to be given to practical application, statistical description and fracture control...

Fatigue Assessment of Full-Scale Retrofitted Orthotropic Bridge Decks

Full-scale fatigue tests were performed on two retrofitted orthotropic bridge decks (OBDs). The retrofitting systems consist of adding a second steel plate on the top of the existing deck. The aim is to reduce the stresses at the fatigue-sensitive details and therefore extend the fatigue life of the OBD by stiffening the existing deck plate....

Fatigue strength of repaired cracks in welded connections made of very high strength steels

For cyclically loaded structures, fatigue design becomes one of the important design criteria. The state of art shows that with modification of the conventional structural design methodology, the use of very high strength steels may have a positive effect on fatigue strength of welded connections. However, there is little known about the repair...