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Penetration of the Stiffener Web to Deck Plate Weld in Orthotropic Plated Bridge Decks



Author(s)

Hans De Backer, Amelie Outtier and Philippe Van Bogaert

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7359/2013.03.002

Department of Civil Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent B-9052, Belgium

This paper reports the results of experimental research concerning the connection between the deck plate and the web of the longitudinal stiffeners in an orthotropic plated bridge deck on a microscopic scale. An important number of test specimens of a weld are studied with the help of a video microscope, to detect the efficiency of the root of the weld. The second part of the paper is concerned with parametric analysis of the lack of weld penetration by using accurate finite element modelling. The results demonstrate that the weld quality often required can not always be assured, which surely has important consequence on the stresses in the weld and the fatigue resistance.

Weld penetration, orthotropic plated bridge deck, stiffener web to deck plate weld.