Fatigue analysis of welds and bolts in end plate connections of I-girders. (September 2020) - Bartsch, Helen
Highlights: Essential fatigue tests on end plate connections focussing on both weld and prestressed bolt. Guidance on how to determine stress ranges for fatigue details of welds and prestressed bolts in end plate connections. The transferability of component tests to small-scale tests, giving guidance for future investigations. An approach to assess "modified nominal stresses" and an estimation of the stress concentration factor. Separate fatigue detail categories for standardised end plate connection. Abstract: End plate connections with prestressed bolts represent economical joints in steel construction. However, the fatigue resistance of these connections is currently insufficiently covered in Eurocode 3-1-9 [1]. The weld and bolt stresses during fatigue loading of end plate connections have been examined in detail. To this end, fatigue tests have been carried out on component and small-scale specimens. In a subsequent numerical investigation, FE-models have been validated by the experimental results. Second, geometric influences were investigated. The fatigue strength of the welds has been assessed by the effective notch stress concept. Finally, a detail category recommendation is given.