scholarly journals Retrofit Fatigue Cracked Diaphragm Cutouts Using Improved Geometry in Orthotropic Steel Decks

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo-Yi Chen ◽  
Chuan-Xi Li ◽  
Jun He ◽  
Hao-Hui Xin

Diaphragm cutouts are set to release redundant constraints and hence reduce weld fatigue at the connection of U-ribs to diaphragms in orthotropic steel decks. However, most fatigue cracks which originate from the edge of cutouts are in fact detected in the diaphragms. Therefore, a retrofit technology on cracked cutouts at the diaphragm is proposed and applied to the orthotropic steel box girder of a suspension bridge. Firstly, the stress concentration on the cutout is analyzed through refined finite element analyses. Furthermore, the fatigue cracked cutouts are retrofitted by changing their geometrical parameters. Thereafter, an optimized geometry and the size of diaphragm cutouts were confirmed and applied in the rehabilitation of a suspension bridge. On-site wheel load tests were carried out before and after retrofitting of the diaphragm cutout. The stress distributions along the edges of the cutouts and at the side of a diaphragm were measured under a moving vehicle. The stress spectra at two critical locations on the edge of a cutout was obtained under longitudinally and laterally moving vehicles. Finally, the fatigue life of the cutouts is assessed by the modified nominal stress method. The analytical and test results indicate that the wheel loads on the deck transmit stress to the diaphragms through the U-ribs, during the load transmission process, the stress flow is obstructed by diaphragm cutouts, resulting in local stress concentrations around the cutouts. In addition, the overall size of the cutouts should be small, but the radius of the transition arc should be large, thus the stress flow will not be obviously obstructed. After the retrofitting of the cutouts by improved geometry, the maximum stress decreases by 87.6 MPa, which is about 40% of the original stress. The equivalent constant amplitude stress is reduced by 55.2% when the lateral position of the wheel loads is taken into consideration. Based on the stresses obtained by finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental tests, the fatigue lives of the original cutouts are 1.7 and 4.9 years, respectively, which increase to 78.1 and 155.5 years, respectively, after the cutouts were retrofitted, which indicates that the improved geometry and retrofit technology can enhance the fatigue performance and extend the fatigue life of diaphragm cutouts with fatigue cracks.

1995 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 965-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry B. Lessard ◽  
Olivia P. Eilers ◽  
Mahmood M. Shokrieh

A two-dimensional finite element analysis is performed in order to analyze and improve the performance of the three-rail shear test specimen as prescribed by the ASTM Standard Guide for testing of in-plane shear properties of composite laminates [1]. Of main interest is the location of high-magnitude stresses in the matrix direction that affect the fatigue life of the specimen. Through finite element analysis, the optimal specimen configuration is determined by inserting slots in the positions at which there are stress concentrations. This has the effect of transferring the location of high stress away from critical areas, thus increasing the fatigue life of the specimen. The results are verified by three-rail shear tests performed for both standard un-notched and new notched specimens. The notched specimens show great improvement in both static strength and fatigue life.


Author(s):  
Eyassu Woldesenbet

Analysis of polymer-matrix composite sucker rod systems using finite element methods is performed. Composite sucker rods fail mainly due to fatigue loading. In majority of cases, the failure is in the region of the joint where the composite rod and the steel endfitting meet. 2D and 3D Finite Element Analysis and experimental tests are carried out in order to observe the stress distribution and to find the regions of stress concentrations inside the endfitting. The causes of fatigue failure of the composite sucker rods are identified. These are overloading of the rod causing high transverse compressive stress that results crushing of the rod, and high stress concentrations present at the grooves of the endfitting that initiate premature fatigue cracks. Based on the result of this study, enhanced design of the composite sucker rod system can be accomplished.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Shirazi ◽  
Ihab Ragai

The effect of post weld heat treating and stress relieving on the fatigue strength of AISI 8630 cast steel, weld repaired with different filler materials, is the primary objective of the study. To determine the material properties, experiments included monotonic tensile tests, load-controlled fatigue tests as well as hardness tests. Moreover, specimens were micro-etched to examine the morphology of the fracture surface. The results of the fatigue tests are presented in the form of S-N charts. The test findings are then employed in a generalized numerical solution to predict the fatigue behavior of similar components. Finite element models are used to calculate stresses in tested samples, stress concentrations, and in fatigue life comparisons. Stress-life predictions were performed using the modified Goodman criterion to account for the mean stress effects caused by the stress ratio R = 0.1 loading. Predictions based off of finite element analysis and analytical solution for fatigue life provided reasonable estimates which are confirmed by the experimental results.


2000 ◽  
Vol 1696 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami W. Tabsh ◽  
Muna Tabatabai

An important problem facing engineers and officials in the United States is the constraint imposed on transportation due to limitations of bridges. These limitations typically constrain vehicles to minimum heights and widths, to minimum and maximum lengths, and to a maximum allowable weight. However, with current demands of society and industry, there are times when a truck must carry a load that exceeds the size and weight of the legal limit. In this situation, the trucking company requests from the state departments of transportation an overload permit. For a truck with a wheel gauge larger than 1.8 m (6 ft), the process of issuing a permit for an overload truck requires a tremendous amount of engineering efforts. This is because the wheel load girder distribution factors (GDFs) in the design specifications cannot be used to estimate the live-load effect in the girders. In some cases, an expensive and time-consuming finite element analysis may be needed to check the safety of the structure. In this study, the finite element method is used to develop a modification factor for the GDF in AASHTO’s LRFD Bridge Design Specifications to account for oversized trucks with a wheel gauge larger than 1.8 m. To develop this factor, nine bridges were considered with various numbers of girders, span lengths, girder spacings, and deck slab thicknesses. The results indicated that use of the proposed modification factor with the GDF in the design specifications can help increase the allowable load on slab-on-girder bridges.


Author(s):  
J. R. Beisheim ◽  
G. B. Sinclair ◽  
P. J. Roache

Current computational capabilities facilitate the application of finite element analysis (FEA) to three-dimensional geometries to determine peak stresses. The three-dimensional stress concentrations so quantified are useful in practice provided the discretization error attending their determination with finite elements has been sufficiently controlled. Here, we provide some convergence checks and companion a posteriori error estimates that can be used to verify such three-dimensional FEA, and thus enable engineers to control discretization errors. These checks are designed to promote conservative error estimation. They are applied to twelve three-dimensional test problems that have exact solutions for their peak stresses. Error levels in the FEA of these peak stresses are classified in accordance with: 1–5%, satisfactory; 1/5–1%, good; and <1/5%, excellent. The present convergence checks result in 111 error assessments for the test problems. For these 111, errors are assessed as being at the same level as true exact errors on 99 occasions, one level worse for the other 12. Hence, stress error estimation that is largely reasonably accurate (89%), and otherwise modestly conservative (11%).


2019 ◽  
Vol 893 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eui Soo Kim

Pressure vessels are subjected to repeated loads during use and charging, which can causefine physical damage even in the elastic region. If the load is repeated under stress conditions belowthe yield strength, internal damage accumulates. Fatigue life evaluation of the structure of thepressure vessel using finite element analysis (FEA) is used to evaluate the life cycle of the structuraldesign based on finite element method (FEM) technology. This technique is more advanced thanfatigue life prediction that uses relational equations. This study describes fatigue analysis to predictthe fatigue life of a pressure vessel using stress data obtained from FEA. The life prediction results areuseful for improving the component design at a very early development stage. The fatigue life of thepressure vessel is calculated for each node on the model, and cumulative damage theory is used tocalculate the fatigue life. Then, the fatigue life is calculated from this information using the FEanalysis software ADINA and the fatigue life calculation program WINLIFE.


2001 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 809-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Eui Shin ◽  
Kyung-Woo Lee ◽  
Kyong-Ho Chang ◽  
Seung-Boo Jung ◽  
Jae&nbsp;Pil Jung

2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-154
Author(s):  
John H. Underwood ◽  
Michael J. Glennon

Laboratory fatigue life results are summarized from several test series of high-strength steel cannon breech closure assemblies pressurized by rapid application of hydraulic oil. The tests were performed to determine safe fatigue lives of high-pressure components at the breech end of the cannon and breech assembly. Careful reanalysis of the fatigue life tests provides data for stress and fatigue life models for breech components, over the following ranges of key parameters: 380–745 MPa cyclic internal pressure; 100–160 mm bore diameter cannon pressure vessels; 1040–1170 MPa yield strength A723 steel; no residual stress, shot peen residual stress, overload residual stress. Modeling of applied and residual stresses at the location of the fatigue failure site is performed by elastic-plastic finite element analysis using ABAQUS and by solid mechanics analysis. Shot peen and overload residual stresses are modeled by superposing typical or calculated residual stress distributions on the applied stresses. Overload residual stresses are obtained directly from the finite element model of the breech, with the breech overload applied to the model in the same way as with actual components. Modeling of the fatigue life of the components is based on the fatigue intensity factor concept of Underwood and Parker, a fracture mechanics description of life that accounts for residual stresses, material yield strength and initial defect size. The fatigue life model describes six test conditions in a stress versus life plot with an R2 correlation of 0.94, and shows significantly lower correlation when known variations in yield strength, stress concentration factor, or residual stress are not included in the model input, thus demonstrating the model sensitivity to these variables.


1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 51-68
Author(s):  
Donald Liu ◽  
Abram Bakker

Local structural problems in ships are generally the result of stress concentrations in structural details. The intent of this paper is to show that costly repairs and lay-up time of a vessel can often be prevented, if these problem areas are recognized and investigated in the design stages. Such investigations can be performed for minimal labor and computer costs by using finite-element analysis techniques. Practical procedures for analyzing structural details are presented, including discussions of the results and the analysis costs expended. It is shown that the application of the finite-element analysis technique can be economically employed in the investigation of structural details.


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