Fatigue Damage Analysis of Monolithic Joint of Steel Truss Bridge Considering Welding Residual Stresses

This investigation firstly performs a thermal elasto-plastic analysis using finite element techniques to evaluate residual stresses in monolithic joint weldments, then develops an effective procedure by combining the welding residual stress and dynamic responses by moving train loads, finally calculates the stress history of hot spots in local weldments The results showed that the stresses of some hot spots in weldments had exceeded the yield stress of steel, so the fatigue of these spots should be categorized into low cycle fatigue; the load application on the welded bridge produces a reassessment of the stress field in the weldments and, in particular, a relaxation of the maximum stress.