Lifetime assessment for historical cast steel bridge bearings

D. Siebert, M. Mensinger

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century different types of cast steel bearings were used for railroad bridges. These have to be evaluated concerning their risk of brittle fracture and fatigue safety to guarantee a safe use in the future despite their advanced age. In this paper, the fracture mechanical methods used for the verification against brittle fracture and adequate fatigue safety are presented. Non-destructive testing on bridge bearings, numerical simulations, and analytical formulas for the determination of stress intensities at an assumed crack tip are used as a basis. Crack propagation calculations are conducted for determining the remaining lifetime by considering the interaction of forces due to train crossings by friction. A concept for the assessment of the usability of historical bridge bearings, even after a long period of use, is provided by which a safe and sustainable use of the considered bearings can be ensured.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCurrent Perspectives and New Directions in Mechanics, Modelling and Design of Structural Systems - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation, 2022
EditorsAlphose Zingoni
PublisherCRC Press/Balkema
Pages1908-1913
Number of pages6
ISBN (Print)9781003348443
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023
Event8th International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation, SEMC 2022 - Cape Town, South Africa
Duration: 5 Sep 20227 Sep 2022

Publication series

NameCurrent Perspectives and New Directions in Mechanics, Modelling and Design of Structural Systems - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation, 2022

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation, SEMC 2022
Country/TerritorySouth Africa
CityCape Town
Period5/09/227/09/22

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