Fatigue in metals is the process of initiation and growth of cracks under the action of repetitive tensile loads. If crack growth is allowed to go on long enough, failure of the member can result when the uncracked cross-section is sufficiently reduced such that the member can no longer carry the internal forces for the crack extends in an unstable mode. The fatigue process can take place at stress levels that are substantially less than those associated with failure under static loading conditions. The usual condition that produces fatigue cracking is the application of a large number of load cycles. Consequently, the types of civil engineering applications that are susceptible to fatigue cracking include structures such as bridges. This document provides the practicing engineer with the background required to understand and use the design rules for fatigue resistance that are currently a standard part of design codes for fabricated steel structures.
Content Notes:
The previous version of this Handbook was published as FHWA-IF-12-052 and was developed to be current with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 5th Edition with the 2010 Interims. FHWA-HIF-16-002 was updated in 2015 by HDR, Inc., to be current with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 7th Edition.
Fatigue in metals is the process of initiation and growth of cracks under the action of repetitive tensile loads. If crack growth is allowed to go on ...
In the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, a limit state is defined as “a condition beyond which the bridge or component ceases to satisfy the...
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