Fatigue reliability of welded steel structures

In general, two different approaches to the formulation of the fatigue limit state are considered, the first based on S-N lines in combination with Miner’s damage accumulation rule, and the second based on fracture mechanics crack growth models and failure criteria. Often, the two approaches are used sequentially, with S-N being used at the design or preliminary assessment stage and fracture mechanics for more refined remaining life or inspection and repair estimates. However, it is essential to link the results, and the decisions made, at the design and assessment stages, and it is therefore important to develop compatible methodologies for using these two approaches in tandem. In doing so, it is essential to understand and quantify different uncertainty sources and how they might affect the robustness of the results obtained, and the subsequent decisions made about the structure. The objective of this paper is to highlight parts of recent research at the University of Surrey on the fatigue assessment of steel bridges. The work includes the development of a probabilistic fracture mechanics methodology for the prediction of fatigue reliability, using up-to-date crack growth and fracture assessment criteria and incorporating information on inspection and subsequent management actions.     

Strength of tubular welded joints of roof trusses in Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Center

Static strength of multi-planar welded joints with seven brace members and one chord member made of circular hollow sections is investigated in the paper, based on the engineering practice of moveable roof trusses of Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Center. Firstly, comparative experiments were carried out on two model joints with a scale of 1:3. One joint was not reinforced, whereas the other was reinforced with ring stiffeners inside the chord member. Failure mode, stress distribution, plastic-zone development and ultimate load capacity of the joints were investigated, and effects of the ring stiffeners on the joint behavior were observed through the experiments. Secondly, finite element analysis of both the tested model joints was performed. The calculation results are in a good agreement with the experimental results, which indicated that the numerical analysis was quite effective. Finally, the strategy for enhancing strength of the complicated joint is discussed. Parameters study on the constructional details of ring stiffeners was carried out using FE method. The present research shows the multi-planar circular hollow section joint with high ratio of diameter to thickness of the chord and multiple braces is liable to chord plasticity under axial tension and compression on the braces. For the design of the joint, it is suggested that the ring stiffeners are installed insider the chord to meet needs of enough stiffness and strength. Both position and number of the stiffeners should be carefully determined based on the axial forces on the braces and their diameters. The stiffener thickness should not be less than the chord thickness, and the diameter of the hole at the center of the stiffener should not be greater than half of the chord diameter.     

Strength of tubular welded joints of roof trusses in Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Center

Static strength of multi-planar welded joints with seven brace members and one chord member made of circular hollow sections is investigated in the paper, based on the engineering practice of moveable roof trusses of Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Center. Firstly, comparative experiments were carried out on two model joints with a scale of 1:3. One joint was not reinforced, whereas the other was reinforced with ring stiffeners inside the chord member. Failure mode, stress distribution, plastic-zone development and ultimate load capacity of the joints were investigated, and effects of the ring stiffeners on the joint behavior were observed through the experiments. Secondly, finite element analysis of both the tested model joints was performed. The calculation results are in a good agreement with the experimental results, which indicated that the numerical analysis was quite effective. Finally, the strategy for enhancing strength of the complicated joint is discussed. Parameters study on the constructional details of ring stiffeners was carried out using FE method. The present research shows the multi-planar circular hollow section joint with high ratio of diameter to thickness of the chord and multiple braces is liable to chord plasticity under axial tension and compression on the braces. For the design of the joint, it is suggested that the ring stiffeners are installed insider the chord to meet needs of enough stiffness and strength. Both position and number of the stiffeners should be carefully determined based on the axial forces on the braces and their diameters. The stiffener thickness should not be less than the chord thickness, and the diameter of the hole at the center of the stiffener should not be greater than half of the chord diameter. __________ Translated from Journal of Building Structures, 2007, 28(1): 36&2-42 [译自: 建筑结构学报]     

Fatigue design of welded very thin-walled SHS-to-plate joints under in-plane bending

The existing fatigue design S–N curve for SHS-to-plate T-joints under in-plane bending is given in the Canadian Standard, CAN/CSA-S16.1-M89, in terms of the classification method. That S–N curve is however based on the class of longitudinally loaded plates with welded non-load carrying attachments, which are different from the SHS-to-plate T-joints. The increased use of welded thin-walled (t<4 mm) tubular joints in the road transport and agricultural industry for applications such as lighting poles, traffic sign supports, truck trailers, swing ploughs, haymakers and linkage graders, means that there is a need to develop fatigue design curves for tubular joints where the tube wall thickness is less than 4 mm. This paper aims to determine fatigue design curves for SHS-to-plate T-joints where the thin-walled tubes have a thickness of less than 4 mm. Tube-to-plate T-joints, made up by welding a square hollow section tube to a plate, are tested under fatigue loading. Constant stress-amplitude cyclic loading is applied to these connections as in-plane bending load. Stress concentration factors (SCFs) have been determined from strain distributions obtained using strain gauge measurements. Analysis of the fatigue test data using least squares method is carried out to determine the design curves of the tube-to-plate T-joints under in-plane bending, for both the classification method and the hot spot stress method. A class of 44 is recommended for the classification method. An S_r._hs–N curve is proposed, with a recommended SCF of 2.0 for the hot spot stress method.     

空间网壳结构焊接相贯节点性能分析

焊接相贯管节点连接简便,承载性能好,用钢量小,在海洋平台、桥梁、高层,尤其是大跨度网壳结构中应用广泛.空间网壳结构节点区受力复杂,目前的节点设计规范没有给出大型、异型及轴力、弯矩组合作用下焊接管节点的承载力设计方法.因此,有必要对焊接管节点在多种荷载工况下的性能进行分析.本文以北京市某空间网壳结构植物园的焊接管节点为背景,计算了节点在轴力、剪力、弯矩及扭矩组合作用下的应力、变形分布,得到了节点极限承载力,分析了节点弹性、塑性阶段刚度和承载性能的变化,并通过对比分析探讨了设置加劲肋和改变节点构造形式对节点强度和刚度的影响,对节点进行了优化.分析结果表明,贯通管节点在复杂受力条件下可能出现节点区应力集中导致局部屈服,对节点整体刚度有较大影响;在节点内部设置加劲肋能够缓解节点相贯处的应力集中,有效阻隔屈服区沿管壁方向扩展,提高节点极限承载力.     

空间隔板焊接X形圆钢管相贯节点受力性能试验研究

对3个足尺空间隔板焊接X形圆钢管相贯节点分别进行了轴力作用下的单调加载试验和往复加载试验,得到了节点的破坏模式,并对节点的受力性能包括静力弹性刚度、承载力、延性和滞回性能等进行分析。验证了该种空间隔板焊接节点的构造措施合理,节点的承载能力相对设计工况有两倍以上的安全储备,节点受力安全可靠。运用ABAQUS软件建立有限元分析模型,并与试验结果对比,验证了有限元模型的适用性,并对节点进行设计工况下的内力校核,参数分析结果表明,管径厚比、相贯角度、椭圆连接板厚度及平面外角度对空间隔板焊接节点性能影响较大,节点刚度和承载力随着支管径厚比和平面外角度的增大而降低,随着相贯角度和椭圆连接板厚度的增大而提高。综合试验和有限元分析结果,节点设计要确保支管设计内力不大于节点承载力,增大椭圆板厚度以及补焊椭圆板隐藏焊缝对节点的受力性能改善较好;当设计该类较小相贯角度（小于20°）的节点时,需按节点承载力进行设计,同时考虑轴向刚度对节点受力性能的影响。     

Fatigue strength improvement of welded joints by blast cleaning for subsequent painting

In the fabrication of steel bridges, prior to painting, blast cleaning is performed to clean the surfaces and to increase the adhesive properties of the surfaces for the subsequent painting. In addition to these objectives, blast cleaning can improve the fatigue strength of welded joints, as a result of the impact of forcibly propelled abrasive materials on the welded joints. A series of fatigue tests were carried out on the five different types of welded joints: one-side out-of-plane gusset fillet welded joints, both-side out-of-plane gusset fillet welded joints, non-load-carrying rib fillet welded cruciform joints, butt welded joints, and a large-scale model beam with out-of-plane gusset welded joints, and under the three different types of load conditions: uniaxial tension, out-of-plane bending, or in-plane bending stress cycles. Drawing on previous fatigue test results that include unpublished data, this paper presents the beneficial effects of blast cleaning for the subsequent painting applications on the fatigue strength improvement of welded joints and also presents a simple quality control method for the blast cleaning process that improves the fatigue strength.     

Fatigue life of the bolted yoke connection in single support beam (SSB) modular bridge expansion joints

The objective of this article is to demonstrate a comprehensive procedure for the estimation of the fatigue life of the component centre-beam-to-support-beam (CB/SB) bolted yoke connection. In this procedure, all the aspects are included such as fatigue vehicle loading, cycles per truck passage, lifetime average daily truck volume, fatigue classification of the detail and determination of fatigue infinite life. A typical single support beam (SSB) steel modular beam expansion joint (MBEJ) was modelled as 3D space frame. Moreover, three F.E. sub-models were created for the simulation of the (CB/SB) bolted yoke connection with preloaded bolts M16, M20 and M22 respectively. The Fatigue Load Model 2 (FLM2), recommended in EN 1991-2:4.6.4 for infinite fatigue life was chosen for the fatigue verification of the bolted yoke connection detail, assumed to be travelling at 90 km/h over the expansion joint. The 3D space frame was analysed by using Time-history dynamic analysis and thereafter, the calculated outputs were introduced in the F.E. sub-models. From the analysis of the sub-models the stress ranges were obtained and the fatigue evaluation of the yoke joint was performed. The investigation shown that poor detailing at the connection between the centre-beam-to-support-beam (CB/SB) bolted yoke connection is susceptible with reference to fatigue. Finally, important conclusions were extracted for both the behaviour of the entire modular joint and the fatigue life of the bolted yoke detail.

     

考虑钢材锈蚀的桥梁焊接节点概率疲劳寿命评估

由于循环外荷载和腐蚀性环境的共同作用,近海桥梁结构易受疲劳破坏.本文提出了一种考虑钢材锈蚀的桥梁结构改进疲劳可靠度评估模型,并基于青马大桥长期结构健康监测数据对其典型焊接节点的概率疲劳寿命进行了评估.通过建立有效截面衰减模型和材料疲劳性能退化函数,利用Miner损伤累积准则的连续概率函数表达式,提出了考虑钢材锈蚀的疲劳可靠度解析模型.同时考虑交通载荷(包括汽车载荷和火车载荷)和台风影响,通过统计分析长期应变监测数据建立了标准日应力谱.采用有限混合分布方法及基于遗传算法的混合参数估计算法,得到了标准日应力谱多模态有限混合分布函数.比较分析了考虑和未考虑钢材锈蚀的焊接节点疲劳寿命失效概率和可靠度指标,研究结果表明钢材锈蚀因素对桥梁焊接节点的疲劳可靠度评估结果有较大影响.     

Fatigue life evaluation of welded joints considering the local multiaxial stress/strain states and numerically determined residual stresses/strains

This paper puts forward a kind of calculation method of estimating fatigue crack initiation life by considering welding residual stresses as initial stresses. The numerical method could be used to quantitatively analyze the influence of residual stresses on the cumulative fatigue damage. In order to gain the distribution of weld-induced residual stresses, the FE analyses as well as measurements were carried out. Based on critical plane approach, analysis of damage parameters was performed considering both welding residual stress and biaxial loads. Subsequently, validity of the proposed numerical method is verified by analyzing fatigue test results for several typical welded joints. It is concluded that the result of the present method is closer to the experimental value than that obtained with empirical formula method in the estimation of fatigue crack initiation life of welded structures.     

铝合金焊接节点力学性能的试验研究

为满足国家标准“铝合金结构设计规范”编制的需要,对铝合金焊接节点的力学性能进行系统的试验研究。试验内容包括铝合金对接焊缝节点和角焊缝节点。通过试验得出对接焊缝临界失效面距焊缝中心及焊缝边缘的距离、焊接热影响区及折算强度区的范围;确定临界失效面强度折减系数的取值大小;分析焊件厚度、焊丝型号、焊接工艺对焊缝强度、临界失效面强度折减系数、焊接热影响区范围及折算强度区范围的影响;验证角焊缝强度计算β公式。部分试验结果同欧洲及英国铝合金结构规范值进行对比分析。研究成果为我国首部铝合金结构规范相应章节的制定提供必要依据,是国内首次对铝合金焊接节点力学性能完成的基础性试验研究。     

Fatigue life analysis of steel tube member with T-shaped welded joint by FEM

International Journal of Steel Structures - T-shaped welded steel pipe members are one of the pipe members which are widely used for civil and architecture structures. T-shaped tube member is...     

钢管相贯节点承载力性能研究与进展

对国内外在焊接钢结构相贯节点静力性能方面所进行的理论和实验研究作了介绍与评述,并在分析比较种种研究成果的基础上,对今后的发展趋势提出了一些建议。     

折线形钢箱柱节点受力性能试验研究

对折线形钢箱柱节点进行了1:3缩尺模型力学性能的试验研究和非线性有限元分析。试验研究包括设计荷载作用下的验证试验和极限承载力试验。试验结果表明：在设计荷载作用下,折线形钢箱柱节点始终处于弹性阶段,极限承载力试验中,折线形钢箱柱节点的受力最不利部位为节点水平段与节点下段交接区域,该部位的内转折点处存在应力集中但未发生明显的局部屈曲现象;分析结果表明：有限元计算结果与试验结果吻合良好,从而验证了理论分析与原型结构设计的正确性;因此,在构造合理和焊缝质量优良的前提下,折线形钢箱柱节点可以应用于承重结构中。图16表1参12     

腐蚀后耐候钢梁栓焊节点的疲劳性能试验研究

裸露使用的耐候钢结构往往在受环境腐蚀的同时还可能承受疲劳荷载.为获得腐蚀后耐候钢梁栓焊节点的疲劳性能,对经过38天乙酸盐雾循环试验后的Q355NHD栓焊节点耐候钢梁试件的疲劳性能进行了试验研究.试验结果显示:腐蚀后的耐候钢梁栓焊节点处的疲劳裂纹均先发生在上翼缘(受压翼缘)过让孔两侧焊趾处,破坏裂纹往往发生在下翼缘(受拉...     

高性能桥梁钢典型焊接接头疲劳性能试验研究

针对Q500qE高性能钢两种典型焊接接头,包括对接焊缝和横向角接焊缝,设计疲劳试件。其中对接焊试件包括两种形式,分别为板厚56mm和8mm的对 接焊试件;横向角接焊缝试件的主板厚56mm、附连件厚20mm。对三组试件进行了有限元分析,掌握了试件的应力分布状况及薄弱环节,验证了试件设计的合 理性。随后针对三组试件展开了疲劳试验,掌握了不同类型焊接接头的破坏位置及破坏形式。根据试验结果拟合出了三组试件的S-N曲线,并与普通钢的疲 劳性能进行比较,表明Q500qE高性能钢的这两种典型焊接接头的疲劳强度略高于普通钢。采用目前规范规定的疲劳强度容许值进行抗疲劳设计是合理可行的,并且具有足够的安全余量。     

焊接空心球节点荷载-位移曲线双线性模型研究

利用ANSYS11.0,采用实体单元建模、线性强化的应力-应变关系和Von-Mises屈服准则,对焊接空心球节点进行弹塑性分析,采用弧长法跟踪球节点的荷载-位移曲线.首先利用试验数据验证了计算模型的正确性;然后对焊接空心球节点进行大量有限元分析,发现节点的荷载一位移曲线具有明显规律,并利用回归分析得出了与焊接球尺寸和偏心有关的屈服系数和刚度系数公式;接着利用正交设计方法,拟合所得数据,给出了与尺寸有关的焊接球节点初始轴向刚度和弯曲刚度公式;最后回归分析得到与尺寸和偏心有关的节点的极限承载力公式,从而最终确立了荷载-位移曲线的双线性模型.     

Wind and structural modelling for an accurate fatigue life assessment of tubular structures

Based on the joint probability with regard to wind speed and its main direction, the current paper presents a practical and efficient approach for calculating wind induced fatigue of tubular structures, the effects of the wind direction, across wind and wind grid size on the high cycle fatigue of the structure are addressed. In each time step of the dynamic response calculation, the large deformation effects and the wind induced drag forces due to the updated structural deformations are taken into account. It is found that, the directional wind effects on the fatigue damage mainly depend on the orientation of the structure, the location and the support condition of the selected joints, and the relative probability of occurrence for the high winds speed in each direction, etc. Furthermore, the across wind components are proved to be a significant contributor on the fatigue damage and cannot be ignored. The fatigue damage is also found to be rather sensitive to the wind grid size for generating the wind fields. It is also concluded that vibration of each individual member interacts with the global dynamic response and the wind loading, and a fatigue check should therefore be against both individual member and global response. The wind fatigue calculation procedure presented in the current paper has the merit of reducing uncertainties without degrading a required safety level, this may lead to a positive economic impact with regard to construction and maintenance costs. It has been applied on quite a few industry and research projects and can be widely applied on the similar study of structures.