Evaluation of fatigue in the La Saquea metal bridge in Zamora Chinchipe
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Abstract
Introduction. The Saquea bridge, located in the province of Zamora Chinchipe, is a vital structure for connectivity and economic development. It has experienced a significant increase in vehicle loads due to the growing mining activity in the area. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effects of repetitive loads induced by traffic. Two case studies were conducted: the first with the nominal weight and the second with a 50% increase in loads for the group of trucks (HL-93, 3S3, and HS-MTOP). Objective. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the fatigue of structural elements and estimate the remaining life of the most critical connections. Methodology. With the implementation of the methodology proposed by AASHTO LRFD, which is based on determining the useful life of the elements through the effects caused by the repetitive traffic load by obtaining the stress ranges and their structural categorization. Results. Fatigue analysis shows that the main beams are the elements that face the most bending stresses and therefore their remaining fatigue life is reduced to 12 years under overload stress. Conclusion. The main beams are the elements most subjected to bending stresses, and therefore their fatigue life is significantly reduced when subjected to critical load conditions. Overloading vehicles by 50% reduces the estimated remaining fatigue life by more than half. General Area of Study: Civil Engineering. Specific area of study: Structures. Type of study: Original article.
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