Fatigue of double-sided welds and welds with controlled melt through for the stiffener-to-deck weld in orthotropic bridge decks

J. Maljaars

- Department of Reliable Structures, TNO, the Netherlands
- Faculty of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands

Orthotropic bridge decks (OBD-s) are sensitive to fatigue failure. Strict tolerances apply to the geometry of one of the critical connections in OBD-s, the stiffener-to-deck welded connection, to obtain high fatigue resistance. These tolerances appear difficult to meet in practice. Two alternatives have been developed recently for this connection, namely a double-sided welded connection and a single-sided welded connection with controlled and continuous melt-through. Both alternatives have the promise of easier fabrication. This paper evaluates the fatigue resistance of these welded connections based on tests collected from the literature and on fracture mechanics calculations. The paper thereby provides the basis for the incorporation of these details into the new Technical Specification TS 1993-1-901, which will be part of the new generation of Eurocodes.

Key words: Orthotropic bridge deck, stiffener-to-deck weld, rib-to-deck weld, double-sided welded connection, weld melt-through, weld penetration