Residual shear strength of fatigue cracked slender web panels

A series of quasi-static and fatigue tests on short span, slender plate girders subjected to predominantly shear loading is described. The fatigue test results are presented in terms of the normalised load range versus the number of load cycles to failure, and compared with other available test data. A simple procedure for predicting the residual shear strength of a fatigue cracked web panel, based on an assumed equilibrium stress field, is developed and shows reasonable correlation with the test results.