A Feasiblity Study on the Fatigue Performance of Laser Beam Welds and Hybrid-Laser Arc Welds Used in an Innovative Modular Steel Sandwich Panel Bridge Deck SyStem

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dc.contributor.authorPassarelli, Garrett J.en
dc.contributor.committeechairWright, William J.en
dc.contributor.committeecochairMoen, Cristopher D.en
dc.contributor.committeememberCousins, Thomas E.en
dc.contributor.departmentCivil Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:47:31Zen
dc.date.adate2011-11-09en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:47:31Zen
dc.date.issued2011-09-28en
dc.date.rdate2011-11-09en
dc.date.sdate2011-10-12en
dc.description.abstractThis research investigation explores the feasibility of implementing a laser welded sandwich steel panel bridge deck system as a viable alternative to standardized reinforced concrete bridge decks. Generally used in naval ship building applications, steel sandwich panels possess attractive characteristics towards the integration with bridge infrastructure such as service life in excess of 100 plus years, dead load reduction, rapid construction, decreased closure time, and automated mass production. The lack of fatigue data for the laser "stake" welds used to create the enclosed sandwich panel geometry raised concerns with respect to fatigue life. The primary focus of this study was to determine whether or not infinite fatigue life was possible. Two different laser welding technologies were investigated, Laser Beam Welding (LBW) and Hybrid-Laser Arc Welding (HLAW). Test specimens were fabricated and tested in order to examine fatigue resistance based on a localized load effect between adjacent core stiffeners. Finite element models were used to obtain the stress range for each individual test due to complex geometry and partially restrained boundary conditions. In order to assess the fatigue performance of the overall deck system, additional finite element models were created to study the local and global behavior of different sandwich panel configurations. As a whole the investigation yielded promising results. Infinite fatigue life is achievable due to outstanding fatigue performance. The HLAW stake welds demonstrated superior fatigue resistance in comparison to the LBW process. Localized load effects can be minimized through the modification of different panel parameters. Pushing forward, full scale testing is essential to the future employment of this innovative bridge deck system.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-10122011-150234en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10122011-150234/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/45149en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartPassarelli_GJ_T_2011_ptI.pdfen
dc.relation.haspartPassarelli_GJ_T_2011_ptII.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectBridge Decksen
dc.subjectFatigue Resistanceen
dc.subjectFinite element methoden
dc.subjectFinite element methoden
dc.subjectSandwich Panelen
dc.subjectLaser Welden
dc.subjectLBWen
dc.subjectHLAWen
dc.titleA Feasiblity Study on the Fatigue Performance of Laser Beam Welds and Hybrid-Laser Arc Welds Used in an Innovative Modular Steel Sandwich Panel Bridge Deck SyStemen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineCivil Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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