Multiscale fatigue damage evolution in orthotropic steel deck of cable-stayed bridges. (15th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cui, Chuang; Xu, You-Lin; Zhang, Qing-Hua
• Is Part Of: Engineering structures. Volume 237(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06-15
• Subjects: Deck-to-rib joint -- Orthotropic steel deck -- Cable-stayed bridge -- Multiscale fatigue damage evolution -- Substructure -- Short crack nucleation and growth -- Long crack propagation -- Fatigue life; Structural engineering -- Periodicals; Structural analysis (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Construction, Technique de la -- Périodiques; Génie parasismique -- Périodiques; Pression du vent -- Périodiques; Earthquake engineering; Structural engineering; Wind-pressure; Periodicals; 624.105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112144
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0141-0296

Abstract

Highlights: A multiscale fatigue damage evolution simulation model for orthotropic steel deck is developed. The simulation model considers micro crack nucleation and growth and macro crack propagation. Micro crack initiation is simulated in a polycrystal microstructure with a crystal plastic constitutive model. Macro crack propagation is simulated in the substructure including the effect of mixed crack modes. The case study shows that the micro crack nucleation period is longer than the macro crack propagation period. Abstract: This paper investigates multiscale fatigue damage evolution in deck-to-rib (DTR) joints of orthotropic steel deck (OSD) of a long-span cable-stayed steel bridge under traffic loading with consideration of micro short crack nucleation and growth as well as macro long crack propagation. Multiscale finite element modelling and substructure techniques are jointly used to model a long-span cable-stayed bridge and simulate multiscale fatigue damage evolution in DTR joints. The polycrystal microstructure together with the crystal plastic constitutive model are used to model the fine-grained heat-affected zone of a DTR, in which micro short crack nucleation and growth are simulated considering the randomness of grain size and orientation. The polycrystal microstructure is embedded in a substructure while the substructure is coupled with the multiscale model of the bridge under traffic loading. After the micro short crack in the microstructure grows up to an initial long crack length, three-dimensional macro long crack propagation is simulated in the substructure including the effect of mixed crack modes by fracture mechanics. As a case study, the multiscale fatigue damage evolution in the DTR of the OSD of the Stonecutters cable-stayed bridge in Hong Kong under moving vehicles is simulated using the proposed method. The simulation results indicate that the proposed multiscale fatigue damage evolution model can describe the entire damage process from micro crack nucleation to macro crack propagation. The case study shows that the macro crack propagates rapidly from the initial macro crack and the period of micro short crack nucleation and growth is longer than the macro crack propagation period.