A unified evaluation method for fatigue resistance of riveted joints based on structural stress approach

Many riveted steel bridges were constructed worldwide between 1850 and 1950. A number of them are still in operation, and their fatigue damage is a major burden in maintenance. This paper presents a unified structural stress approach to evaluate the fatigue resistance of riveted joints for steel bridges. The presented approach was utilized to establish and calibrate S-N curves for riveted joints based on fatigue data from 114 tested specimens, and the curves were validated by fatigue test data from large-scale riveted structures. A single fatigue category was obtained to evaluate different types and sizes of riveted structures. The investigation results showed that the presented approach is capable of evaluating different types of riveted joints and structural stresses. The structural stress approach is insensitive to the mesh size and the element type in finite element analysis. The presented method is convenient for practical engineers to evaluate the fatigue resistance and fatigue life of riveted steel bridges.