Abstract
Various types of fatigue cracks have been found in steel bridges. To maintain steel bridges, repair and retrofit methods of such fatigue cracks have been developed. The authors developed a technique which generates plastic deformation of steel surface near the crack in order to close crack opening by an impact air tool. This method is called Impact Crack Closure Retrofit treatment (ICR treatment). Plate bending fatigue tests of out-of-plane gusset specimens were carried out. Fatigue cracks at turn-around welds and those which have propagated 10 and 20 mm were ICR-treated. Fatigue test results showed significant improvement in the fatigue life of specimens due to ICR treatment.
