Strain Monitoring-Based Fatigue Assessment and Remaining Life Prediction of Stiff Hangers in Highway Arch Bridge

Abstract

The fatigue problem of hangers is fatal for the safety of the whole bridge structure. The objective of this study is to present a strain monitoring-based method to assess the fatigue performance of stiff hangers in highway arch bridges and predict their remaining life. A vehicle–bridge interaction system was constructed to analyze the dynamic behavior in the area close to the key welding line where the hanger was connected to the deck slab. Then, the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm and rain-flow counting algorithm were used in signal preprocessing and statistical analysis of field monitoring data. Finally, the fatigue life was assessed according to the standards in the Chinese Code for the Design of Steel Structures, as well as the Eurocode 3 and AASHTO codes. Differences were found in the fatigue behavior of hangers, and the shortest hanger was shown to surfer more serious fatigue damage. The influence of vehicle volume growth and low-stress amplitude on the fatigue performance was also discussed.

Keywords

• stiff hanger
• steel arch bridge
• stress spectrum
• fatigue assessment
• remaining life prediction