Use of Adhesives to Retrofit Out-of-Plane Distortion Induced Fatigue Cracks

Prior to 1985, it was common practice to avoid welding the connection plates to the tension flange of the girders of steel bridges. However, extensive fatigue cracking has developed in the unstiffened web gaps because of out-of-plane distortion. A new retrofit option was investigated that uses a room-temperature-cured two-part epoxy (3M Adhesive DP460-NS) to join a small length of 3/4-in. thick steel angle to the tension flange and the connection plate. A field test on two skewed bridges showed that the adhesive-angle retrofit system decreased the out-of-plane strain range by 40 to 50% when the original strain range was more than 50 microstrains. The ten adhesive-angle retrofits remained in place and were in good condition after three and a half years, suggesting that the chosen adhesive had good environmental durability. A laboratory large-scale specimen test with 8 web gaps showed that the retrofit system stopped or retarded most cracks even without stop holes when the measured out-of-plane strains were approximately 600 microstrains. Coupon tests conducted to investigate the environmental durability of the chosen adhesive showed that the chosen adhesive is suitable for applications at room or low temperature, even with high relative humidity.

[1]  Arturo E. Schultz,et al.  Girder Differential Deflection and Distortion-Induced Fatigue in Skewed Steel Bridges , 2006 .

[2]  A. Beevers,et al.  The effects of grit-blasting on surface properties for adhesion , 1999 .

[3]  Yuan Zhao,et al.  Finite Element Study of Distortion-Induced Fatigue in Welded Steel Bridges , 2003 .

[4]  T. Seeger,et al.  Fatigue strength of structural steel with powder actuated fasteners according to Eurocode 3 (Ermüdungsfestigkeit von Stahl mit Setzbolzen nach Eurocode 3) , 1999 .

[5]  John W. Fisher.  Fatigue cracking in bridges from out-of-plane displacements , 1978 .

[6]  Angela Greiling Keane.  Focusing on fatigue , 2005 .

[7]  Robert Edward Kenneth. Fraser.  Behaviour of distortion-induced fatigue cracks in bridge girders , 2000 .

[8]  John W. Fisher,et al.  DISTORTION-INDUCED FATIGUE CRACKING IN STEEL BRIDGES , 1990 .

[9]  John W. Fisher,et al.  HUNDREDS OF BRIDGES - THOUSANDS OF CRACKS , 1985 .

[10]  D R Mertz,et al.  DISPLACEMENT-INDUCED FATIGUE CRACKING OF A BOX GIRDER BRIDGE , 1982 .

[11]  Y. Konaté.  Influence of thermal cycle on resistance to fracture under shear loading of adhesive films , 1994 .

[12]  M. Wahab,et al.  Coupled stress-diffusion analysis for durability study in adhesively bonded joints , 2002 .

[13]  D. A. Gasparini,et al.  Steel‐to‐Steel Connections with Adhesives , 1990 .

[14]  The use of perforated lap shear specimens to test the durability of adhesive-bonded aluminium , 1987 .

[16]  M. Bowditch,et al.  The durability of adhesive joints in the presence of water , 1996 .

[17]  I. Olefjord,et al.  Surface treatment of steel for structural adhesive bonding , 1987 .

[18]  Harry O. Posten,et al.  The robustness of the two—sample t—test over the Pearson system , 1978 .

[19]  Durability of structural adhesive joints , 1984 .

[20]  V. M. Malhotra,et al.  Structural adhesive joints in engineering , 1986 .

[21]  S. A Hashim,et al.  Adhesive bonding of thick steel adherends for marine structures , 1999 .

[22]  J W Fisher,et al.  Fatigue cracking of steel bridge structures; volume 1: a survey of localized cracking in steel bridges - 1981 to 1988 , 1989 .

[23]  Jyr-Jong Lee,et al.  Fatigue strength of steel bridge girders with distortion induced stresses, PhD dissertation (September) 1987, 170p. , 1987 .

[24]  Use of primers to enhance adhesive bonds , 1992 .

[25]  Bo Edlund,et al.  FATIGUE CRACKING IN A STEEL RAILWAY BRIDGE , 1997 .

[26]  Weicheng Cui,et al.  A state-of-the-art review on fatigue life prediction methods for metal structures , 2002 .

[27]  A Comparison of Laboratory-conditioned and Naturally-weathered Bonded Joints , 2001 .

[28]  Mechanical characteristics of some cold-cured structural adhesives , 1992 .

[29]  I. E. Winkle,et al.  Design and assessment methodologies for adhesively bonded structural connections , 1990 .

[30]  Sami H. Rizkalla,et al.  Strengthening Steel Structures and Bridges with High-Modulus Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymers Resin Selection and Scaled Monopole Behavior , 2004 .

[31]  Bernard Barthelemy,et al.  Fatigue behavior of full-scale welded bridge attachments, M.S. thesis, May 1979 , 1979 .

[32]  Pedro Albrecht.  FATIGUE STRENGTH OF ADHESIVELY BONDED COVER PLATES , 1987 .

[33]  John W. Fisher,et al.  FATIGUE CRACKING IN WELDED STEEL BRIDGES , 1990 .

[34]  M. Cowling,et al.  Durability aspects of adhesively bonded thick adherend lap shear joints , 2000 .

[35]  D. A. Gasparini,et al.  Diffusion of Water in Steel‐to‐Steel Bonds , 1990 .

[36]  The durability of bonded coated steel joints , 1993 .

[37]  The Effect of High Humidity on the Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Thermal Transitions of an Epoxy-polyamide Adhesive , 1976 .

[38]  M. Gettings,et al.  Surface analysis of polysiloxane/metal oxide interfaces , 1977 .

[39]  Katsuyoshi Nozaka,et al.  REPAIR OF FATIGUED STEEL BRIDGE GIRDERS WITH CARBON FIBER STRIPS , 2003 .

[40]  Catherine E French,et al.  EFFECTS OF INCREASING TRUCK WEIGHT ON STEEL AND PRESTRESSED BRIDGES , 2003 .

[41]  M. Cowling,et al.  A rapid durability test method for adhesives , 2000 .

[42]  John W. Fisher,et al.  Distortion-induced fatigue cracking of bridge details with web gaps , 1989 .

[43]  R. P. SHELDON,et al.  Adhesion and Adhesives , 1966, Nature.

[44]  J. M. Stallings,et al.  Effects of Removing Diaphragms from Steel Girder Bridge , 1996 .

[45]  Terry J Wipf,et al.  RETROFIT SOLUTION FOR OUT-OF-PLANE DISTORTION OF X-TYPE DIAPHRAGM BRIDGES , 1998 .

[46]  Arturo E. Schultz,et al.  Measurement and analysis of distortion-induced fatigue in multigirder steel bridges , 2003 .

[47]  J. Comyn,et al.  The durability of some epoxide adhesive-bonded joints on exposure to moist warm air , 1980 .

[48]  Celal N. Kostem,et al.  Displacement induced fatigue cracks , 1979 .

[50]  S. J. Shaw,et al.  A Model for Predicting Joint Durability , 1980 .

[51]  A. Kinloch,et al.  Environmental Failure of Structural Adhesive Joints , 1974 .

[52]  Jacques Schultz,et al.  Durability of steel/polymer adhesion in an aqueous environment , 1998 .

[53]  B T Yen,et al.  GIRDER WEB BOUNDARY STRESSES AND FATIGUE , 1967 .

[54]  David A. Dillard,et al.  A Test Method for Accelerated Humidity Conditioning and Estimation of Adhesive Bond Durability , 1997 .

[55]  Gilbert Y. Grondin,et al.  Behaviour and rehabilitation of distortion-induced fatigue cracks in bridge girders , 2001 .