Reducing Brittle and Fatigue Failures in Steel Structures

Structural steel has been vital to engineering and construction over the past century. Its versatility has allowed it to perform outstandingly in countless applications. However, there have been repeated failures associated with fracture and/or fatigue mechanisms; the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, and most recently the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse in Minneapolis on August 1, 2007. These failures have highlighted concerns for the life of bridge structures particularly with regard to fatigue and corrosion. Although problems with fatigue and brittle have been well documented, these factors and issues have not yielded state-of-the-art design practices. The goal of Reducing Brittle and Fatigue Failures in Steel Structures is to provide a one-volume reference of failures in steel structures, along with considerations to preventing them. This book will give engineers a better understanding of steel and its limitations and applications, in order to reduce brittle and fatigue failures. This book will be a valuable resource for structural engineers, as well as professionals involved in bridge construction, design, and maintenance.