Fatigue cracking investigation on diaphragm cutout in a self-anchored suspension bridge with orthotropic steel deck

To investigate the mechanism of base-metal cracking on diaphragm cutout in a self-anchored suspension bridge with orthotropic steel deck (OSD), multi-scale finite element models were established to obtain stress response at cutout detail under the passage of wheel loads. Fatigue life was evaluated based on nominal stress method and hot-spot stress method. The results indicated that the length of the longitudinal influence line for detail stress to wheel loads approximately equalled to twice the diaphragm spacing. The wheel loading location of maximum stress was the front wheel of middle-axle group 0.3 m from the diaphragm, and the stress was dominated by in-plane stress. The nominal stress was hard to define at cutout detail for high stress concentration, and the hot-spot stress was preferred to fatigue assessment based on S-N curve of FAT125, also nominal stress should be extracted at the location 5.0 mm from cutout edge. Cutout shape of Highway Bridge in Eurocode was suggested, and diaphragm thickness should not be below 12 mm. The cutout cracking was caused by poor cutout shape, thin diaphragm, high truck traffic volume and overloaded wheel loads, while undesirable fabrication control and large residual stress might also contribute to the cracking.