Introduction to Steel Bridge Design Session L4

Fatigue and Fracture Design

This session will provide an introduction to fatigue and fracture concepts as applicable to steel bridges. The nominal stress approach to fatigue design and evaluation, as used in the AASHTO LRFD, will be presented with illustrative examples. A review of how fatigue has been treated in previous versions of the AASHTO Specifications will also be provided. The session will also include a basic introduction to fracture mechanics along with some simple numerical examples. The objectives of the AASHTO/AWS fracture control plan will be presented, and guidance on identifying a member as a Fracture Critical Member (FCM) will be provided. The session will also cover basic fatigue repair and retrofit concepts.

This presentation is part of the Introduction to Steel Bridge Design webinar series. 

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