Fatigue behaviour of post-tensioned tendons

The assessment of the fatigue strength of prestressing steel in structures under non-predominantly static loads becomes more important within increasing traffic loads, longer life time of structures and the use of innovative and high-strength materials. In particular, when installed, the fatigue strength of prestressing steel is affected by many factors due to the complex stress conditions. The article gives an overview of the current knowledge of the fatigue behavior of prestressing steels. The fundamental relationships of fretting fatigue are explained and a database is established after an evaluation of tests executed so far. The results are compared with the Woehler diagram of the Eurocode 2 and specific aspects of the experimental interpretation and verification are discussed.