Bridges Across the World Safer After Groundbreaking Fatigue Study
A full-scale fatigue test was conducted on a steel bridge deck to study how it holds up under repeated stress. After 10.2 million load cycles, cracks were found at certain connection points, but not in others. The welding process caused cracks in some areas, but not in others. Overall, the bridge deck met certain fatigue criteria set by industry standards, but some details were more prone to fatigue than others.