See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/259004378

Fatigue calculation of concrete according to EC2: severe or

not?

Conference Paper · January 2009

CITATIONS READS

0 1,030

3 authors:

Hans De Backer Amelie Outtier

Ghent University Ghent University
217 PUBLICATIONS   290 CITATIONS    89 PUBLICATIONS   63 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Philippe Van Bogaert

Ghent University
219 PUBLICATIONS   332 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Spatial planning in Belgium View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Hans De Backer on 03 August 2016.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 FATIGUE CALCULATIONS OF CONCRETE
ACCORDING TO EC2 – SEVERE OR NOT ?
Hans De Backer*, Amelie Outtier* & Philippe Van Bogaert*
* Bridge Research Group, Civil Engineering Department, Ghent
University, Belgium

Key words: fatigue, concrete wall, crane beam, steel console

Abstract:

In reinforced concrete structures, loads are resisted by a force couple

consisting of a tensile force in the steel reinforcement and a compressive
force in the concrete. Concrete is a heterogeneous material full of flaws
and pores, thus the processes running in its structure under cyclic loading
are more complex than in steel. Hence the fatigue calculations for
concrete structures are fundamentally different to the classic fatigue
calculation methods. In addition, the fatigue problem in concrete needs to
be divided in separate checks: concrete under compression, concrete
under shear loading and a verification of reinforcement and prestressing
steel. This research focuses on the problem of fatigue under shear in
concrete walls, using the design rules proposed by Eurocode 2. Hence,
the recent example of fatigue failure where a steel crane beam console
which was connected to the concrete wall of a waste treatment unit
succumbed due to fatigue only a few months after construction is
discussed. While the shear resistance of a properly reinforced concrete
wall is quite high, the limitation of fatigue stresses in the concrete remains
very severe. While it is not really common practice for designers to
perform a detailed fatigue check for large concrete building, this research
illustrates its value. In addition the latest version of the Eurocodes offers
an easy to use calculation method for concrete fatigue. However, the
limitations proposed in this Eurocode are found to be extremely strict.
Hence, they might have a definite impact on future design of buildings
and bridges.
1. INTRODUCTION
Fatigue failure of concrete structures is considered to be rare, especially
for concrete walls. Hence, present design practice tends to neglect or
overtly simplify this problem. Nevertheless, Eurocode 2 offers an
adequate and consistent method to ensure that no fatigue failure occurs
in the concrete parts of a structural design. This paper wants to illustrate
this method, based on a recent fatigue failure wherein concrete fatigue
was narrowly avoided in the support structure of a heavy girder crane.
Since crane loads are, from a fatigue point of view, one of the heaviest
loads used for buildings [1, 2 and 3], this paper will strictly focus on this
specific application.
Considerable interest has developed in the fatigue strength of concrete
members in recent years. There are several reasons for this. First, the
use of high-strength materials requires the concrete members to perform
satisfactorily under higher stress levels. Hence, the study of the effects of
repeated loads on bridge slabs or other structural elements is a matter of
concern. Second, different concrete systems such as prestressed
concrete railroad ties and continuously reinforced concrete pavement
slabs, subjected to fatigue loading are often used. These systems
demand a high-performance product with a guaranteed fatigue life. Third,
there is recognition of the effects of repeated loading on a member, even
if it does not cause a fatigue failure. There may be inclined cracks in
members at lower loads due to fatigue loading, and the static load-
carrying capacity of the component material may be altered.

Figure 1. Crane beam console before fatigue failure occurred

2. FATIGUE FAILURE OF A CRANE BEAM CONSOLE

A steel crane beam support connected to a lightly reinforced concrete
wall recently succumbed due to fatigue of the steel bolts connecting the
beam to the outer concrete walls of a building, part of an important waste
incineration plant, near Antwerp (Belgium). The crane beam itself was
equipped with three heavy-duty girder cranes, the combination of which
resulted in a considerable number of high stress cycles. After less than 6
months of operation, the crane beam consoles, shown in figure 1,
collapsed due to bolt shear and breaking of the connection between the
console back plate and the concrete anchors of three consoles. The bolts
were chemically anchored into the concrete wall which is not the most
fatigue resistant connection method.

3. DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE

While the determination of the actual cause of the fatigue failure was
quite straightforward, its underlying reason was more widespread. As can
be seen in figure 2, the console bolts suffered fatigue cracks. Figure 3
displays a macrographic image of the crack surface, with the pearly
fatigue crack and the more grainy abrupt rupture of the remaining steel
material which is typical for fatigue failures. The second macrographic
image in Figure 3 shows the part of the bolt thread where the fatigue
crack possibly initiated.
However, it is also important to check the effect that a frequent load cycle
[1, 2 and 4], caused by the use of the girder cranes, will have on the
entire support structure, including the concrete wall. While cases of
fatigue fracture in concrete structures are quite rare, in most cases their
influence is disastrous. In this example concrete fatigue failure was
narrowly avoided and became the determining factor in the design
improvement towards a final solution. Actual fatigue failure of the
concrete wall was only avoided because the bolts connecting the
consoles to the wall proved to be the weakest link in the design.

Figure 2. Fatigue failure of the steel bolts of the crane console

Figure 3. Macrographic image of the bolt surface (left) and thread (right)
Considering the force equilibrium of the corbels, shown in figure 4, the
vertical and horizontal live load of the girder crane on the crane beam,
shown on the left, will obviously result in a double torque acting on the
concrete wall and the console, as shown on the right. The vertical live
load on the crane beam is identical to a vertical load on the concrete wall
V and a horizontal force couple Vh , determined by the width and height
of the steel console, whereas the horizontal force equally results in a
torque of magnitude H × h . Both forces Vh and H introduce a
considerable horizontal shear force on the concrete wall, determined by
the size of the vertical load V , the horizontal load H and the geometry.

Figure 4. Force equilibrium of the crane consoles

4. EUROCODE FATIGUE CALCULATION

The fatigue verification for concrete under compression may be assumed
to be met, if the following condition is satisfied:
σ c ,max σ c ,min
≤ 0,5 + 0,45
f cd , fat f cd , fat
≤ 0,9 for f ck ≤ 50 MPa (1)
≤ 0,8 for f ck > 50 MPa
wherein σ c ,max is the maximum compressive stress at a fiber under the
frequent load combination and . σ c ,min the minimum compressive stress
at the same fiber. The allowable stress ranges due to equations (1) are
visualized in figure 5. If a situation occurs wherein the minimum
compressive stress equals 0 for a specific fiber, which implies that
relaxation of the concrete due to the live load can occur, then the
maximum compressive stress for the same fiber is reduced to 50% of the
fatigue strength. This implies that for a concrete class of C30/35 the
maximal allowable compressive stress after 2 years needs to be reduced
to a value of only 7,46 MPa.
 Figure 5. Fatigue verification for concrete under compression

Furthermore, if we assume that the concrete material is in a situation

where the minimum compressive stress is equal to 50% of the fatigue
strength. In other words: the concrete is in a situation of permanent
compression, as is often the situation for civil structures such as bridge
decks, prestressed bridge component, monolithic frames e.a. subjected
to live loads. For this situation the maximum compressive stress has to
be reduced to 72,5% of the fatigue strength. In addition, the amplitude of
the stress cycles will be reduced to less than 22,5% of the fatigue
strength, which is a value of 3,36 MPa for a concrete class of C30/35.
However, for members not requiring design shear reinforcement for the
ultimate limit state it may be assumed that the concrete resists fatigue
due to shear effects, where the following apply:

VEd ,min VEd , max VEd , min

≥0 : ≤ 0,5 + 0,45 (2)
VEd ,max VRd ,ct VRd , ct

VEd ,min VEd ,max VEd ,min

<0: ≤ 0,5 − (3)
VEd ,max VRd ,ct VRd ,ct

wherein V Ed ,max represents the design value of the maximum applied

shear force and VEd , min the design value of the minimum applied shear
force under frequent load combination in the same cross-section and
VRd ,ct the design value for shear resistance. This is the situation where
the crane beam, discussed in the previous paragraphs can be found.
The Eurocode rules are just as stringent for shear problems as for
members under compression. Further experimental research on this
subject may lead to the conclusion that the fatigue rules for design of
concrete structures as they are proposed now, might be a bit
conservative and have room for improvement, especially in the case of
bridge deck and crane beam design.
5. APPLICATION FOR CRANE BEAMS
Eurocode 2 [1,2,3] for concrete structures specifically mentions the
fatigue resistance of specific concrete constructions as a whole, and are
not limited to reinforcement or the prestressing steel. It states that fatigue
verification is necessary for all structures and structural components
which are subjected to regular load cycles (e.g. crane beams, bridges
exposed to high traffic loads etc.). If it is assumed that the crane beam is
simply supported on the consoles, implying that each shear peak
represents one load cycle, then formulae (2) and (3) are reduced to:

VEd ,max
≤ 0,5 : (2)
VRd ,ct
Herein, the design shear resistance can be calculated using the classical
shear force formula. Application of this formula to the concrete wall being
considered renders, with an effective wall thickness of 330mm and a
reinforcement percentage of 0,22%, the design value for the shear
resistance in this specific example of 133,7 kN/m for a section of the wall
with a length of 1m. Thus, the maximum shear force, introduced due to
the live crane load on the console into the wall, must be lower than 68,85
kN/m along the entire circumference of the backing plate of the console.

6. INTRODUCTION OF THE SHEAR FORCE

Based on the previous paragraph, it can be stated that a fatigue
calculation of a concrete wall can be reduced in this specific case, to a
limitation of the maximum design shear force under fatigue load. This
shear force will be distributed along the entire circumference of the
backing plate as well as the front plate of the console. When looking at
figure 4, it is clear that this console backing plate needs to be present, not
only at the bottom of the console at the inner side of the wall, but also at
the outer side of the wall near the top part of the console. In situations
wherein load cycles occur that are important enough to warrant a fatigue
check, it becomes impossible to connect the crane console using
chemical anchors, due to the very concentrated introduction of the shear
force. If we would assume that in the case described above, a maximum
design shear force exists of 550 kN, acting on a backing plate measuring
350 mm by 350 mm, then equation (2) becomes:
550 kN
VEd , max 4 × 0,35 m
= = 5,7 ≥ 0,5 (2)
VRd , ct 68.85 kN
m
Thus, this initial design solution will not satisfy the fatigue check. The
actual sizes of the backing plates are used in equation (2) since this
concerns a shear problem wherein the initiation of cracks needs to be
avoided and not a punching problem.
7. POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE CONCRETE DESIGN
The easiest solution off course would be to change the concrete quality
and the reinforcement ratio in the wall. While this is not possible in the
situation wherein damage to an existing support construction needs to be
repaired, it can easily be realized in new design situations. If the
reinforcement ratio were to be changed to about 2%, which implies that
for each meter of the concrete wall 10 reinforcement bars with a diameter
of 32 mm are present per meter of the concrete wall, the design value for
the shear force will almost double when compared with the initial design
situation. Comparable results are found when looking at the influence of a
variation of the characteristic concrete strength on the shear resistance.
The influence is less outspoken, but still important enough to consider in
design situations. It should be possible to design a concrete wall to
withstand cyclic loads, without resorting to sizeable separate steel
carrying structures.
For situations where repairs need to be made to an existing construction
with limited fatigue resistance of the concrete wall, it is not possible to
influence the shear resistance of the concrete. Instead, the design needs
to focus on changes to the console and to the connection of the console
with the concrete wall to reduce the maximum applied shear force. The
first possibility to realize this reduction is to modify the overall geometry.
When looking at the force equilibrium in figure 4, it becomes obvious that
the vertical loads on the crane beam result in a bending moment in the
wall with a size of V .h , wherein h equals the horizontal distance
between the crane rail on the beams and the concrete wall. This bending
moment is introduced into the concrete wall by way of the force couple
Vh . v , wherein v is in proportion to the vertical size of the console.
Thus, if the overall geometry of the console were to be changed in a way
that enlarges the vertical size v , this would have a considerable positive
influence on the maximum applied shear force, as can be seen in figure
6, which displays the vertical console size v on its horizontal axis. In
addition, this will most probably also influence the size of the backing
plate, which will be discussed later on. In extreme cases, where the shear
resistance of the concrete wall is very low or where the applied load
cycles are very high, a situation could be considered wherein the console
would be connected to a rigid vertical beam of several meters long.
Afterwards, this beam, or virtual column, can be connected to the wall,
thus considerably influencing the parameter v . Another possibility is to
modify the size of the backing plates of the consoles, used as anchors to
introduce the forces Vh into the concrete wall. By designing these anchor
plates bigger, the distance over which applied shear force is introduced,
i.e. the circumference of the anchoring plate, will increase. This has an
extremely positive effect on the actual maximum applied shear force, as
can be seen in figure 7. This figure assumes the backing plate to be
squared and mentions the length of one side of the backing plate on its
horizontal axis.
 450 450

Maximum applied shear

Maximum applied shear
400 400
350 350

force (kN/m)
force (kN/m) 300 300
250 250
200 200
150 150
100 100
50 50
0 0
1000 1500 2000 2500 0 500 1000 1500 2000
Console size (mm) Console backing plate (mm)

Figure 5. Influence of the console geometry (left) and of the size of the
backing plates on the applied shear force

In real design situations, both previous possibilities will be combined into

one optimized solution, resulting in a drastically reduced applied shear
force. Combining the two, it will in most practical situations be possible to
find a design solution, although the necessary steel structure might be
quite sizeable.

8. CONCLUSIONS
While it is not really common practice yet for designers to perform a
detailed fatigue check for concrete walls, this paper wants to illustrate its
value. Especially for constructions where the concrete wall needs to
support a crane beam carrying heavy girder cranes, fatigue may be the
determining factor in the design of the concrete wall. In addition, when
multiple girder cranes are operating on the same crane beam, most
national codes are such that it results in very heavy frequent load cycles,
necessitating a fatigue design.
Still, the latest version of the Eurocodes offers an easy to use calculation
method for concrete fatigue. The considerations above clearly illustrate
that it should be possible to design an economical solution by optimizing
both wall and console design. Still, the overall design concept as detailed
in Eurocode 2 is quite severe for fatigue problems.

REFERENCES
[1] ENV 1993-6. Eurocode 3 – Design of Steel Structures – Part 6 Crane
supporting structures CEN Brussels, 2005.
[2] ENV 1991-5. Eurocode 1 – Basis of design and actions on structures
– Part 3 : Actions induced by cranes and other machinery CEN
Brussels, 2005
[3] EN 1992-1-1. Eurocode 2 – Design of concrete structures – Part 1 :
General rules and rules for buildings CEN Brussels, 2005
[4] Sedlacek, G. & Schneider, R. “Neue europäische regelwerke für die
Bemessung von Kranbahnträgern”, Stahlbau Vol. 69(4), 2000 (in
German).

View publication stats