Chapter 5

Fatigue
 FATIGUE STRESSES
 1- General
 2- Definitions
 3- Fatigue Loads
 1. General
 This chapter presents a general method for the
fatigue of structural elements that are subjected
to repeated fluctuations of stresses. Members
subjected to stresses resulting from fatigue load
shall be designed so that the maximum stress do
not exceed the allowable stress given in chapter
(2) of the Egyptian steel code of practice and
that the stress range does not exceed the
allowable fatigue stress range given in chapter
(3) of this code. Wind bracing does not consider
subjected to fatigue load.
 2. Definitions

 Fatigue: damage in member (gradual crack

propagation) caused by repeated live load
(stress fluctuations).
 Design Life: the period which the structure will
not fail or require repair.
 Stress Range: the algebric difference between
two extreme values of stress due to fatigue load.
 3. Fatigue Loads

 1.      Crane: Full traveling crane load + impact.

 2.      Roadway Bridge: 60 % of live load + impact.
 3.      Railway Bridge: Full standard live load +
impact.
       For Roadway Bridge with design lives > 50 years, the
fatigue loads should be increased by factors M.

No of 50 80 100 120
year
M 1.0 1.10 1.15 1.20
   For Roadway Bridges
Depending on the average daily truck traffic
(ADTT) for 50 years design life, the number of
constant stress cycles (N) is given in table 3.1a for
long members and transverse members.
 
   For Railway Bridges

Divided the bridge to 3 classes;

Class 1 for chords and main girder (plate girder)
Class 2 for web of truss bridge
Class 3 for transverse floor beams, vertical of truss and
sub-diagonal.
 For crane
Depending on the average daily application (ADA) for 50
years design life, the number of constant stress cycles (N)
is given in table 3.1C for different operation.
   High strength Bolts Friction type

For H.S.B friction type and according to (N), the

allowable stress ranges (Fsr) are given in table page 39
for bolts of grade 8.8 & 10.9.
Each structural element has a particular detail category as
shown in table 3.3 (page 43). The classification is divided
into four parts which correspond to the following groups:
Group 1 non-welded details, plain materials, and bolted
plates.
Group 2 welded element.
Group 3 welds and bolts.
Group 4 orthotropic deck bridge details.
Depending on the details, member (rolled or built up),
connection shape, type of weld, etc., the code divided the
details to eight categories (A, B, B’, C, D, E, E’, F).
Depending on these categories and on (N), the allowable
stress range (Fsr) is given in table 3.2 (p. 41) and in Fig. 3.1
(p42).
For fatigue consider the number of constant stress cycles
(N) > 2,000,000 and the detail category class (A) for rolled
section, class (B) for built up section, class (C) for high
strength bolts in shear, class (D) for ordinary bolts and
class (F) for bolts in tension.