Fatigue experimental characterization of preloaded injection bolts in a metallic bridge strengthening scenario

Journal article (2021)

Authors

Bruno Pedrosa Universidade de Coimbra
Jose A.F. Correia Universidade do Porto
Carlos Rebelo Universidade de Coimbra
M. Veljkovic Steel & Composite Structures - CEG
Helena Gervásio Universidade de Coimbra
Research Group
Steel & Composite Structures (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2021 Bruno Pedrosa, José Correia, Carlos Rebelo, M. Veljkovic, Helena Gervásio
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112005
Fatigue Injection bolts Old bridges Structural strengthening Shear connections
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Published Date

2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Engineering Structures

Research Group

Steel & Composite Structures

Abstract

All over the world, the number of civil engineering structures, particularly bridges with long service periods, has been increasing. The most common evidences of damages are the presence of corroded metallic elements and cracks in structural details due to the fatigue phenomenon. A large number of cases were found in which fatigue cracks were detected in structural details, such as riveted connections. Different strategies can be implemented for repairing and strengthening operations of old metallic riveted bridges. However, the use of injection bolts has been considered as an alternative with important advantages. In this regard, it is essential to study their performance under fatigue loading. In this investigation, an experimental campaign has been performed to assess the fatigue strength of injection bolts by means of comparison with standard bolts. These fatigue tests are defined to be representative of a structural strengthening scenario of an old metallic bridge. Experimental results show that injection bolts contribute to significantly reduce the scatter in the data related to fatigue resistance. For double shear specimens, the characteristic curve proposed for connections with injection bolts presents a detail category with 15% higher value when compared to non-injected specimens. The beneficial effect is also verified in terms of slip deformation. For single shear specimens, the overall effect of the adhesive is not clear.