Experimental Investigation of Bending Fatigue Response of Grouted Stay Cables

Abstract

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the susceptibility of grouted stay cables to bending fatigue damage. The results from twelve, bending fatigue tests are reported in this paper. Fretting of adjacent wires within a single strand was the dominant cause of bending fatigue damage in the grouted stay-cable specimens. This damage tended to be concentrated at the ends of the specimens and at locations where concentrated loads were applied to the stays. The laboratory tests indicated that the risk of bending fatigue damage was low at the tension rings, along the free length of the stays, and in the vicinity of unintentionally crossed strands.