FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION CONTROL BY RESIN INJECTION WITH LOCAL HEATING METHOD

Abstract

As a tentative repairing method for fatigue cracks in steel bridges, resin injection method was investigated. The method aimed to restrain the crack closing behavior by the resin injected into the crack while it was temporary opened by local heating near the tip. The delay effect on crack propagation rate was clearly observed in fatigue tests when the proposed processings were applied to the specimens. An analytical prediction method for fatigue life extended by the proposed method was also proposed.