Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 73-82 (2025)
REPAIRING EFFECT OF DOUBLE-SIDED ARRAY STEEL-RODS
REINFORCEMENT METHOD FOR U-RIB CRACKS
Cheng Meng, Zhi-Yuan Yuanzhou *, Bo-Hai Ji, Zhuang-Zhuang Chen and Jun-Yuan Xia
College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210098, China
*(Corresponding author: E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Received: 21 March 2024; Revised: 16 December 2024; Accepted: 16 December 2024
DOI:10.18057/IJASC.2025.21.1.7
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ABSTRACT
U-rib cracks are one of the typical fatigue cracking modes in steel box girders. To address this issue, a double-sided reinforcement technique, incorporating microstructural damage by using steel rods and steel plates, was proposed. The mechanical performance of steel-rod reinforcement (SRR) and steel-rod plate reinforcement (SRPR) was evaluated using a series of compact tension-shear (CTS) specimens under varying loading angles. Subsequently, finite element models were employed to simulate and compare the maintenance effects of the two configurations. Finally, field application and monitoring were conducted on a U-rid long fatigue crack in a real bridge. The results indicated that both SRR and SRPR significantly improved the tensile strength, effectively reducing the KI at the crack tip, with SRPR exhibiting stronger shear resistance. Monitoring data collected before and after maintenance demonstrated that the proposed new methods reduced stress concentration at the crack tip, inhibiting fatigue crack propagation.
KEYWORDS
Steel-rod and steel plate, Structural damage, Fatigue crack, Effect evaluation, Field maintenance
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