2018 Volume 64A Pages 560-572
Recently, a lot of deck-through type cracks have been detected in orthotropic steel deck bridges under heavy truck traffic. Public works research institute has developed ultrasonic testing system for detection of the cracks with automatic running probe. In this paper, for the purpose of confirming the crack propagation behaviour and acting stress range in orthotropic steel decks, investigations using the system under actual traffic condition have been carried out. As the result of field investigations, the possibility of crack propagation through deck thickness increased in case that the crack length becomes longer, and that were likely to occur with increase of the cumulative truck traffic volume.
