Half-Round Bearing Stiffeners for Skewed Steel I-Girders

This research seeks more data to support selection of an appropriate fatigue category for designers to use when a welded attachment is to be used for the half-round bearing stiffener and the skewed connection plate at continuous tension flanges. Previous research does not provide enough data points to provide a reliable standard deviation and determine the fatigue category for design. This research will provide fatigue testing results that are as comprehensive as the testing used to determine fatigue categories for comparable details in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 2020 (LRFD). The design fatigue life S-N curve for half-round bearing stiffeners and the skewed connection plates will be drawn from the data collected, two standard deviations below the mean, which is consistent with the development of the LRFD fatigue life curves. Fatigue performance will be compared to the LRFD fatigue life S-N curves and an appropriate design fatigue category will be selected. That information will allow the use of appropriately designed half-round bearing stiffeners to be used at intermediate piers. In addition, the research will examine feasible methods to avoid corrosion of the half-round bearing stiffener. Ideas to be investigated include painting the interior before welding, using weathering steel, filling the void with flexible filler, and filling the void with grout. It will also be investigated whether an air-tight condition or venting the half-round bearing stiffener provides better corrosion resistance.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $200000
• Contract Numbers:

  BED65

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Managing Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Project Managers:

  Young, Vickie

• Performing Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Principal Investigators:

  Mehrabi, Armin

• Start Date: 20220621
• Expected Completion Date: 20241220
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatigue (Mechanics); Fatigue tests; Girders; Steel bridges; Stiffeners (Plates); Welding
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01851231
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Florida Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: BED65
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 12 2022 10:37AM