ABSTRACT
Fatigue cracking is the prevalent disease observed in welding details of orthotropic steel decks, especially in deck-rib welded joints. This paper presents a framework for evaluating the fatigue reliability of deck-rib welded joints under the simulated traffic flow based on the S-N curve and linear damage theory. First, we build a combined shell-solid finite element model of the typical area on the panel of a steel arch bridge to obtain the stress influence surface function of the key joint. Then, the traffic flow model is established according to the probability distribution of vehicle parameters. The stress time history curve of the welded joint is further studied. Based on the above analysis, the time-varying fatigue reliability curves of welding details under different traffic flows are investigated. The proposed framework can provide further insight into the management and maintenance of orthotropic steel decks for bridges under construction and existing bridges.
