ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: The maintenance and safety of existing bridges is a major concern of governmental agencies. In particular, the safety of old riveted highway bridges fabricated and placed into service at the end of the 19th/ beginning of 20th centuries deserve a particular attention, since they were designed taking into account traffic conditions, both in terms of vehicle gross weight and frequency, completely different from those observed currently. In order to assure high safety levels in old riveted steel bridges, highway authorities have to invest heavily in their maintenance and retrofitting. In this context, knowledge of the fatigue behaviour of riveted joints is of paramount importance.