Fatigue Testing and Performance of Welded Single-Support Bar Modular Bridge Joints

Abstract

Single-support bar modular joints are widely used in large-span bridges because of their competitiveness and their ability to accommodate larger movements than conventional multiple-support bar joints can accommodate. Despite their general acceptance and use, detailed fatigue testing and design guidelines well suited for these joints are still not well documented. This has been the main impetus for carrying out this experimental and analytical investigation on the fatigue performance of a single-support bar modular bridge expansion joint with welded stirrups. Three identical subassemblies were tested in fatigue to establish the experimental fatigue