Abstract
There are many weld defects such as surface crack, lack of fusion, and incomplete penetration (IP) in the butt joint weld of existing steel bridges. The crack-like defects may significantly reduce the fatigue life of the structure. This paper presents the procedure and the results of the fatigue life assessment of the butt joints with weld defects in the existing steel girder bridge. The butt joint welds with incomplete penetration were instrumented with strain gages to determine the stress histogram under normal traffic. Based on the measured stress histogram the crack propagation analysis were performed for the fatigue life assessment. By using the suggested procedure and methodology, one can decide the time of periodic inspection and the necessity of repair of the butt joint welds with serious weld defects in the existing steel bridge.