Solid modeling method and calculation of stress intensity factor for bridge structure with 3-D straight through crack

The fatigue crack easily occurs in the nodes of the steel truss bridges which are under long-term load of moving train, it may endanger the safety of a bridge and even lead to its collapse. Therefore, it is essential to research on it. This paper introduces the detailed procedures of modeling a 3-D straight through crack in a node of a steel truss bridge by using the commercial FE software ANSYS with solid modeling method, and then to calculate stress intensity factor for the crack tip. The results showed that the solid modeling method was simple and efficient and could be carried on easily, it was suitable to establish complicated configured model and had a high precision guarantee of stress intensity factor.