Improving Infrastructure Sustainability 1: Extending Useable Lives of Steel Bridges by Halting Distortion-Induced Fatigue Crack Propagation Using Pretensioned Bolts and Plate Washers: [Technical Summary]

2016PDFBriefK-TRAN: KU-11-3BoltsDiameterDistortion (Structures)Fatigue crackingFinite element methodGirdersHolesSteel bridgesBridges and other structuresHighwaysMaintenance and PreservationI24: Design of Bridges and Retaining WallsI61: Equipment and Maintenance MethodsWashersUnited StatesKansasKansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of ResearchLiu, HaoBennett, CarolineMatamoros, AdolfoLi, JianBarrett-Gonzalez, RonRolfe, StanUniversity of KansasKansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of ResearchUS Transportation CollectionDrilling crack-arrest holes to halt fatigue crack propagation is a simple technique that is commonly used by bridge owners controlling and/or repairing fatigue cracking in steel bridges. Well-established relationships exist for sizing the diameter of the crack-arrest holes for in-plane fatigue loading; however, the effectiveness of crack-arrest holes under out-of-plane (distortion-induced) fatigue is not well understood.75