Development and Validation of Methodologies for Rapid Inspection and Assessment of Fatigue Damage

New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) owns several steel bridge superstructures that are in service for more than 60 years. Being on strategic commerce route, these bridges are subjected to large Average Daily Truck Traffic (ADTT), with potential for fatigue damage to the bridge superstructure. Recently unique fatigue cracking was discovered in one of the major bridges in the floor beams under the stringers at the deck expansion joints. This fatigue cracking is unique in that the cracks developed in the floor beam top flange-to-floor beam web stiffener welds, either at the weld toes or from the weld root that eventually severed the stiffener-to-flange connection. Given a large number of these connections in the bridge and the unusual cracking mode, determining the root cause is necessary for an appropriate intervention plan and maintaining this structure on a regionally important corridor in a state of good repair. The intended outcome of the project is to develop knowledge base that will be incorporated as part of professional training programs on fatigue and fracture of steel bridges. The project will generate a technical brief regarding an unusual cracking mode in aging steel bridge infrastructure. A cost-effective intervention plan is expected to be derived from the analysis results that would be implemented in the bridge.

• Record URL:
  https://cait.rutgers.edu/research/development-and-validation-of-methodologies-for-rapid-inspection-and-assessment-of-fatigue-damage/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $97995
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT13-G-UTC28

  CAIT-UTC-NC60

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation

  Rutgers University
  100 Brett Road
  Piscataway, NJ  United States  08854-8058

  New Jersey Turnpike Authority

  1 Turnpike Plaza
  Woodbridge, NJ  United States  07095
• Project Managers:

  Szary, Patrick

  Laird, Jean

• Performing Organizations:

  Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation

  Rutgers University
  100 Brett Road
  Piscataway, NJ  United States  08854-8058
• Principal Investigators:

  Roy, Sougata

• Start Date: 20180901
• Expected Completion Date: 20190630
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aging (Materials); Bridge design; Evaluation and assessment; Fatigue cracking; Inspection; Methodology; Steel bridges; Validation
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01704560
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
• Contract Numbers: DTRT13-G-UTC28, CAIT-UTC-NC60
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 9 2019 1:48PM