Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) Seminar Spring 2003

Bridge Engineering (BE) Rak-11.146 Sillanrakennusken seminari

Rak-11-163 Licentiate Seminar in B.E..
Thomas Niederkofler 030411 1 (12)

Eurocodes

Fatigue, Steel Bridges

Thomas Niederkofler

Presentation 11.04.2003

CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 2
INTRODUCTION 2
FATIGUE ASSESSMENT 2
EXAMPLE 1: STEEL HIGHWAY BRIDGE 4
EXAMPLE 2: FATIGUE OF A K-TYPE JOINT 10
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ABSTRACT
The subject of this paper is Fatigue, Steel Bridges and is based on the European Prestandard
• prEN 1993-1-9: Fatigue strength of steel structures
• prEN 1993-2 : Steel Bridges
• prEN 1991-2
Two examples from the book will be presented to support the understanding.

INTRODUCTION
The prEN 1993-2 chapter 9 fatigue assessment, consists of requirements for fatigue
assessment of road and railway bridges, which fatigue loading model shall be used from prEN
1991-2 chapter 4.6, damage equivalence factor λ and the partial factors for fatigue
verifications. Also in ESDEP Lecture 12 is very helpful especially to define the detail
category.

FATIGUE ASSESSEMENT
Fatigue assessment should be carried out in all regions which are critical for fatigue according
to EN 1993-1-9 and no fatigue assessment need normally to be carried out for:

• Pedestrian bridges, bridges carrying canals or other bridges those are

predominated statically loaded, unless such bridges or parts of them are likely
to be excited by wind loads or pedestrians.
• Parts of railway bridges that are neither stressed by traffic loads nor likely to
be excited by wind loads.

In the design of road bridges for fatigue, normally no fatigue check carried out for the
following components of the bridge deck:

• deck plate
• stiffeners
• cross beams
• stiffener-cross beam connections

If the structural detailing and the provisions for weld preparations, execution and testing are
in conformity with the minimum requirements for durable bridge structures established from
experiences and test. For such minimum requirements see Annex C (Recommendation for the
structural detailing of steel bridge decks of road bridges).
For main girders of a road bridge and their attachments fatigue checks should be carried out.

In the design of railway bridges, fatigue checks should be performed for the bridge deck and
the main girders. For the bridge deck the following components should be checked:

- for decks with longitudinal stiffeners and crossbeams

• deck plate
• stiffeners
• crossbeams
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• stiffener-crossbeam connections

- for decks with transverse stiffeners only:

• deck plate
• stiffeners

Critical areas for fatigue checks may be taken from Figure 9.1, 9.2 and see also Table 9.8.
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Example 1

A steel highway bridge with 2 lines per direction consists of an orthographic plate. The lines
on the side are for the slow traffic and the middle lines are for the fast traffic. To calculate is
fatigue strength of the welds in the middle for life cycles of 100 years.
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The properties of the main girder cross section are not calculated in this presentation, but they
will be given as an appendix.

From chapter 4.6 Fatigue load models from EN 1991-2, the fatigue loading from traffic shall
be obtained. In this part five fatigue load models of vertical forces are defined:
1. Fatigue Load Model 1 (similar to LM1)
2. Fatigue Load Model 2 (set of “frequent” lorries)
3. Fatigue Load Model 3 (single vehicle model)

4. Fatigue Load Model 4 (set of “standard” lorries)

5. Fatigue Load Model 5 (based on recorded road traffic)

According to prEN 1993-2 chapter 9.2.2 Simplified fatigue load model for road bridges, for
the fatigue check of road bridges the fatigue load model 3 (single vehicle model) in
conjunction with the traffic data specified for the bridge location should be applied.

The load values Nobs given for Fatigue Load Models 1 to 3 are appropriate for typical heavy
traffic an European main roads or motorways (traffic category Number 1 as defined in Table
4.5.) and may be defined also in the National Annex. On each fast lane, additionally, 10% of
Nobs may be taken into account.
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Traffic categories Nobs per year and per slow lane

1 Roads and motorways with 2 or more lanes per 2,0x106

direction with high flow rates of lorries
2 Roads and motorways with medium flow rates 0,5x106
of lorries
3 Main roads with low flow rates of lorries 0,125x106
4 Local roads with low flow rates of lorries 0,05x106

Table 4.5 (prEN 1991-2) - Indicative number of heavy vehicles expected per year and per
slow lane

Traffic category 3 is chosen and this leads to the loading cycles

for the slow lane: n1 = 100*125.000 = 1.25*107
for the fast lane: n2 = 100*12.500 = 1.25*106

With the help of the influence lines the rating is calculated as followed.

For the simplified fatigue loading, the following procedure may be used to determine the
design stress range spectrum. The maximum stress σP,max and the minimum σP,min should be
determined for a detail by evaluating the influence areas. The reference stress range ∆σP for
the determining the damage effects of the stress range spectrum should be obtained from:

∆σP = ‌σP,max - σP,min │

The damage equivalent stress range related to 2x106 cycles may represent the damage effects
of the stress range spectrum:

∆σE2 = λφ2 ∆σP

where λ is the damage equivalence factor which is defined in pEN 1993-2 chapter 9.5
φ2 is the damage equivalent impact factor

For railway bridges the value of φ2 should be obtained from EN1991-2 and for road bridges
may be taken as 1.0, because it is included in the fatigue load model.

For the axial stress :

σP,max =47770 kN/m2
σP,min = 0 kN/m2
∆σP = ‌σP,max - σP,min │= 47.8 N / mm2
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For the shear stress:

τp,max = 2523 kN/m2 ( first load at position 23,4r)
τp,min = -2523 kN/m2 ( first load at position 15l)
∆τ = 5,1 N / mm2

FATIGUE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE

Fatigue assessment

1. The fatigue assessment shall be made by checking the criteria

∆σ c
γ Ff ⋅ ∆σ ≤
γ Mf

and

∆τ c
γ Ff ⋅ ∆τ ≤
γ Mf
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2. Damage equivalent factor λ for road bridges up to 80m span should be obtained from:

λ = λ1 ∗λ2 ∗λ3 ∗λ4 λ≤ λmax

where λ1 is a factor for different type of girders that takes into account the damaging of
traffic and depends on the length (span) of the influence line or area.

λ2 is a factor that takes into account the traffic volume

λ3 is a factor that takes into account the design life of the bridge

λ4 is a factor that takes into account the heavy traffic on the other lanes

λmax is the maximum value taking account of the fatigue limit, which is may given
in the national Annex, use of this factor i Figure 9.6 recommended.

∆σE2 = λφ2 ∆σP

where φ2 =1 and λ = λ1 ∗λ2 ∗λ3 ∗λ4 λ≤ λmax

Calculation of λ1

λ1 = 2,35
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The factor λ2 should be calculated using:

1/ 5
Q N 
λ2 = M 1 ⋅  Obs 
Qo  N0 
1/ 5
 ΣQ ⋅ n 
QM 1 =  i i 
 Σn i 

In which QMi is the average gross weight (kN) of the lorries in the slow lane obtained from:

Q0 = 480 kN

λ2 = 0.76

Calculation of λ3:

The design life of the bridge tld may be specified in the National Annex. The choice of
tld = 100 years is recommended.

λ3=1.00

λ4=1.00

Calculation of λmax, which is with a bridge span length 2

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So that: λ = 2,35∗0,75∗1.00∗1,00 = 1,786 < 2

∆σE2 = λφ2 ∆σP =1,786*1*47,8 N/mm2=85,4 N/mm2

it is needed

∆σ c
γ Ff ⋅ ∆σ ≤
γ Mf

2
1*85,4 < 125/1,15 = 108,7 N/mm

analog for shear

∆τ c
γ Ff ⋅ ∆τ ≤
γ Mf

∆τE2 = λφ2 ∆τP = 1,786*1*5,1 = = 9,11 N/mm2

2
1*9,11 < 80/1,15 =69,6 N/mm

Example 2

Fatigue of a K-type joint with an overlap of 40% and an eccentricity of e=20mm weld
thickness aw=4mm. There is the possibility of a periodic inspection but with a difficult
access. The life cycle has to be taken as 80 years and the daily number of loading cycles is 50.
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Detail category is 56 according to prEN 1993-1-9 Table 8.7: Lattice girder joints.

From the prEN 1993-1-9 Table 4.2 we get k = 1,5 for the chords and k = 1,3 for the diagonals.
The partial factors for fatigue loads shall be taken as γFf, which is, may given in the National
Annex. The use of γFf=1 is recommended. The partial factor for fatigue resistance should be
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taken as γMf, which is, may given in the National Annex. The use of the values in Table 3.1 of
EN 1993-1-9 is recommended.

In this case γFf=1 and γMf=1.35. The number of loading cycles N = 50*365*80 = 1.460.000
and ∆σR = 60 N/mm2. With to formula ∆σR = ∆σC *(N1/N2) 1/m is calculation accurate.
∆σC = 56 N/mm2, N1= 2.000.000 loading cycles and N2 = 1.460.000 loading cycles. That leads
to ∆σR = 59.6 N/mm2.

∆σ = ∆σR /(γFfγMf) = 44.4 N/mm2

Having regard to the coefficient k the fatigue loads are:

For the Chords ∆’σ = ∆σ /k = 29.6 N/mm2

For the Diagonals ∆’σ = ∆σR /k = 34.2 N/mm2