Influence of management actions on fatigue reliability of a welded joint

This paper investigates the effect load restrictions and/or repair has on the fatigue reliability of a typical bridge detail. A two-stage linear crack growth model is used together with a failure assessment diagram to describe failure. The bridge loading is representative of UK traffic and the formulation is presented in terms of the random time to failure. Invasive action is here considered in the form of weld toe grinding and/or the imposition of load restrictions following crack detection in a cover plate detail. It is demonstrated that invasive action results in a finite fatigue life, which needs to be taken into account in the wider bridge management context.