Read Journal 1298 Volume 59 No 2 – Fatigue behaviour in full-scale laboratory tests of a composite deck slab with PBL reinforcement

Studies on the fatigue behaviour of composite deck slabs are relatively few. To assess the fatigue performance of a composite deck slab at specific design loads, and to provide a reference for its design in fatigue, two full-scale models A and B of a composite deck slab were developed, comprising steel plates and steel-fibre-reinforced concrete slabs. These models will be a useful reference for experiments and design, and for developing codes. In this study we carried out fatigue experiments and focused on the fatigue performance of a composite deck slab in a column area, and the positive and negative bending moments. For the entire fatigue loading cycle, the overall performance of Models A and B was good, the overall stiffness of the composite deck slab was rarely attenuated, the stress levels in the steel members in relation to the fracture strength were not significant, and the steel member was in the stage of flexible work. Through comprehensive tests of Models A and B it was found that the original design exhibits good fatigue performance and meets the design requirements. The research results provide a basis for the design of a composite bridge deck slab in fatigue.