Field Testing to Determine the Remaining Fatigue Life of Patroon Island Bridge

摘要

Field testing and monitoring was used to determine the remaining fatigue life of several critical components of the Patroon Island Bridge in New York, as part of a structural integrity evaluation and a larger evaluation of the entire interchange. The design fatigue life of bridge components is usually based on conservative stress estimates and the fatigue durability, but a fatigue life estimate using actual strain data can be greater. Bridge owners are interested in accurate fatigue life evaluations, to make informed decisions related to bridge rehabilitation and replacement. This paper summarizes a project where critical bridge components were instrumented, and strain data was collected and processed to arrive at more accurate fatigue life estimates.