Efficient progressive global-local fatigue assessment methodology for existing metallic railway bridges

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Horas, CS (Author) FEUP; Abilio M P De Jesus (Author) FEUP; Rui Calçada (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Constructional Steel Research

Vol. 196

ISSN: 0143-974X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 9 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00X-0YC

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcsr.2022.107431

Abstract (EN): This paper presents an integrated fatigue analysis methodology for existing metallic railway bridges, progressively implementing global to local fatigue assessment methods, each requiring a different level of calculation detail. The former are adopted mainly for screening the fatigue-critical connections using nominal stress-based S-N curves, which often oversimplify the characteristics of the loading transference mechanisms, relying on high safety factors. On the other hand, the latter methods are innovatively proposed to refine the fatigue evaluation of connections that present unsatisfactory remaining fatigue life according to the global assessment. A multiscale modelling is adopted, leveraged by modal superposition concepts for structural analysis, which allows efficiently bridging the difference between the scale related to the overall size of the bridge and the local one associated with the fatigue damage developed at hot-spots (e.g., rivet holes). A real case study is investigated to demonstrate the added value of the innovative and efficient progressive fatigue assessment of details that would otherwise not be accurately analysed, taking into account the local characteristics of the response, if only common global procedures were implemented.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 19