| Weathering steel has been a primary construction material for bridges in the United States. Notches caused by corrosion are observed on the flange of steel I-beams. These notches reduce the cross section area of the structure and are threats to bridge safety. A606-04 Type 4 cold rolled weathering steel samples were studied in this thesis to understand the effect of notches that caused by corrosion. Weathering steel samples were in the shape of plates, which simulated flange of I-beams. The plate samples were notched across their surfaces by applying electrical current through an electrochemical circuit composed of an anode, a cathode and electrolyte. Sixteen samples were notched and cut into appropriate shape for fatigue testing. S-N (Stress-Number of cycles to failure) diagram established from fatigue data indicated that the fatigue strength decreased below AASHTO category B. Weibull analysis was also performed to understand the reliability distribution. |
