Abstract
The scallop had been usually set at the connection between deck plate, transverse rib and trough rib because of avoiding the intersection of weld lines. However, the scallop was specified not to be set because of avoiding fatigue crack from the scallop. Then, fatigue cracks initiating at the weld roots between deck plates and trough ribs and propagating into deck plates were detected. In this study, fatigue tests on model specimens of the connection between deck plate, trough rib and transverse rib in steel orthotropic deck have been performed in order to examine the fatigue crack initiating and propagating behavior and the influence of deck plate thickness and existence of scallop on fatigue durability.
