FATIGUE TESTS OF 8-yr WEATHERED

A588 STEEL WELDMENT

By Pedro Albrecht 1 and Jian-Guo Cheng 2
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ABSTRACT: Fatigue tests of 62 specimens determined the effect of 3-year, al-

ternate, and 8-year weathering on the number of cycles to failure of a transverse
stiffener detail fabricated from ASTM A588 weathering steel. These three
weathering conditions reduced the mean losses in fatigue life by 42%, 42% and
54%, respectively, as compared to the life of the nonweathered control speci-
mens. The loss in life came at the expense of the number of cycles needed to
initiate fatigue cracks and is attributed to rust pitting. The progressive nature
of the loss in life with length of exposure time is similar to that reported in the
literature for corrosion penetration and pit depth.

INTRODUCTION

The fatigue design of civil engineering structures is based on data from

specimens tested in clean air (7,8). As a result of that work, identical
allowable stress ranges were adopted by: the American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), for highway
bridges; the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), for build-
ings; the American Railway Engineering Association (AREA), for railway
bridges; and the American Welding Society (AWS), for weldments. With
the advent of bare steel construction, one must examine the validity of
current fatigue specifications in light of data for specimens that were
fatigue tested after an atmospheric exposure of several years, a condition
herein termed weathering.
Reference 1 summarizes in great detail the results of previous fatigue
studies on base metal (13), butt welds ground flush (13), butt welds not
ground flush (18), notched plates (18), automatically welded transverse
stiffeners (2), manually welded transverse stiffeners (1), and 102-mm (4-
in.) attachments (1). All of them had been weathered at most for 4 yr.
An analysis of the results showed that weathering reduced the fatigue
life by 62% for Category A, 44% for Category B, and 26% for Category
C details. It was also concluded that an additional loss in life due to
corrosion fatigue during load cycling is to be expected.
Presented herein are the results of the first series of fatigue tests that
were performed on specimens weathered longer than 4 yr. The data for
3-yr weathered specimens from the same batch were reported previ-
ously (2).

CORROSION RATES

In order to assess the applicability of the data for ideally weathered

^Prof., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Md.
Instr., Dept. of Chemical Engrg., N a n k i n g Inst, of Chemical Tech., N a n k i n g ,
People's Republic of China; formerly Visiting Scholar, Univ. of Maryland, Col-
y B
lege Park, Md.
Note.—Discussion o p e n until February 1, 1984. To extend the closing date o n e
month, a written request m u s t b e filed with the ASCE Manager of Technical a n d
Professional Publications. The manuscript for this p a p e r w a s submitted for re-
view a n d possible publication o n A u g u s t 13, 1982. This p a p e r is part of the Jour-
nal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 109, N o . 9, September, 1983. ©ASCE, ISSN
0733-9445/83/0009-2048/$01.00. Paper N o . 18237.

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 Rcfa.XL and 14
P n T e a t h e r i n g steel envelope
3 Copper-bearing ateel 0,22% Cu
4 Mild carbon steel
Kef. 6 - A242, Type 1
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EXPOSURE T I M E , YE/MS

FIQ. 1.—Corrosion Rate of Weathering Steel, as Compared to Copper-Bearing and

Mild Carbon Steals

specimens reported herein to steel bridge girders in service, it is helpful

to compare corrosion rates for various types of steel and exposure
conditions.
Fig. 1 shows corrosion rate data for coupons of weathering steel, cop-
per-bearing steel, and mild carbon steel, as adapted from Refs. 11 and
14. The specimens were mounted on a rack facing south at a 30-degree
angle from the horizontal. They were exposed at a site with a moder-
ately corrosive industrial atmosphere. The corrosion rate of weathering
steel, after 10 yr of exposure, was reported to be 1.3 jim/yr (0.05 mils/
yr).
Three additional sets of curves are shown in Fig. 1. One set, No. 5
through No. 7, is for coupons of Type 1 steel supplied to American So-
ciety for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification A242 Type 1 that
were weathered for 8 yr at a Newark, New Jersey, site. The corrosion
rates between the fourth and eighth year averaged 2.0 (jim/yr (0.08 mils/
yr) for roof mounted coupons, 5.1 |xm/yr (0.20 mils/yr) for coupons
mounted on facia girders, and 6.8 |xm/yr (0.27 mils/yr) for coupons
mounted on interior girders (6). Some coupons were weathered in a hor-
izontal position and some in a vertical position, to simulate bridge girder
flanges and webs, respectively. The three curves fall within the weath-
ering steel envelope of Ref. 14, bounded by curves No. 1 and No. 2.
Curves No. 8 and No. 9 are for weathering steel guardrails taken from
a Detroit, Michigan, site after 4-1/4 yr of exposure. The mean corrosion
rates were 39 (xm/yr (1.53 mils/yr) for freely exposed surfaces, and 76
fjim/yr (2.95 mils/yr) for lapped surfaces (15). The guardrails were lo-
cated in a "tunneled" freeway. They were sheltered from rain and sun-
shine by overhead bridges, and subjected to all forms of roadway pol-
lutants distributed by passing vehicles—most notably deicing salts.
Comparable corrosion rates were found for guardrails removed from other
sites.
Finally, curve No. 10 in Fig. 1 shows the expected corrosion rate of
150 |xm/yr (6 mils/yr) for ferritic and martensitic steels alike, if they were
continuously exposed to seawater. This curve should represent an upper
bound on the corrosion rate of bridge steels at details that trap moisture
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 and debris and are subjected to severe deicing salt environments.
The fatigue test data presented herein were obtained from ideally
weathered ASTM A588 steel specimens that were exposed for 8 yr to an
urban residential environment. The corrosion rates were checked after
1, 1.5, and 3 yr and found to fall within the band bounded by curves
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No. 1 and No. 2, as highlighted in Fig. 1 (2). The results of a scanning

electron microscopic study of the oxide coating were reported in Ref. 3.

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM

Test Specimen.—The fatigue test specimens (Fig. 2) consisted of a main

plate, 10 mm x 26 mm x 330 mm (3/8 in. x 1 in. x 13 in.) long, to
which two transverse plates, 6 mm x 26 mm x 50 mm (1/4 in. x 1 in.
x 2 in.) long, were attached with 6-mm (1/4-in.) fillet welds. The ge-
ometry simulates the stress condition at a transverse stiffener welded to
the web or to the flange of a girder, or a diaphragm gusset attached to
a bridge girder web. The stiffeners were arranged symmetrically about
the load line to prevent out-of-plane motion and secondary stresses. Beam
specimen data reported by Kuba and Stallmeyer (12) had shown no sig-
nificant difference in fatigue life for one-sided and two-sided stiffener
arrangements. Current fatigue specifications classify transverse stiff-
eners under Category C.
Material.—The 10-mm (3/8-in.) and the 6-mm (1/4-in.) steel plates
used for specimen fabrication conformed to A588 grade B and grade A
steel, respectively. The mechanical properties of the 10-mm (3/8-in.) plate
were: 425 MPa (61.6 ksi) yield point, 569 MPa (82.5 ksi) tensile strength,
22% elongation, and 81 J (60 ft/lb) Charpy V-notch energy absorbed at
4° C (40° F). Its content of alloying elements was, in percent: 0.12 C, 1.04
Mn, 0.011 P, 0.025 S, 0.29 Si, 0.32 Cu, 0.34 Ni, 0.55 Cr, and 0.03 V. The
6-mm (1/4-in.) plate had similar properties.
Fabrication.—The main and stiffener plates needed for specimen fab-
rication were flame cut from wide plates to lengths of 330 mm (13 in.)
and 50 mm (2 in.), respectively. The rolling direction of the main plate
was parallel to the long axis and the loading direction of the specimens.
The mill scale on the plates was removed prior to welding by. shot blast-
ing. The Structural Steel Painting Council (SSPC) class of shot blast was
SP6-63 commercial blast.
The fabricator used the same procedure for welding the specimens as
for attaching web stiffeners to plate girders. The stiffener plates were

330

- 6

c
/ vl ,10

FIG. 2.—Fatigue Test Specimen

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 tack welded to both sides of the main plate. The two 6-mm (1/4-in.)
automatic submerged-arc fillet welds on the same side of the main plate
were then laid simultaneously with a Dart welder. Thereafter, the main
plate was turned and the remaining two welds were placed. All welds
were single-pass and continuous. The welds had a nearly ripple free
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surface and were of a quality superior to that of manual welds.

The electrode was a 2.4-mm (3/32-in.) diam L61 wire and L761 flux,
the same as is used for welding non-weathering structural steel of com-
parable strength. In 1973, regular electrodes were being used for 8-mm
(5/16-in.) and smaller fillet welds placed automatically because it was
believed that the wire-flux combination got enough admixture from the
base metal to give the weld weathering properties similar to those of the
base metal.
After welding, the specimens shown in Fig. 2 were saw-cut from the
assembly, and the sides were ground smooth. The heat input during
cutting and grinding was kept low to preserve the residual stresses in
the direction normal to the weld toe. The specimens were then de-
greased, to remove any rust inhibiting agents, and thoroughly rinsed
with water before they were placed on the weathering rack.
Experiment Design.—The experiment design consisted of 62 speci-
mens arranged in a two-way factorial with six levels of stress range, four
levels of weathering, and up to four replicates per cell. The six levels of
constant amplitude stress range were 110, 124, 144, 177, 229, and 262
MPa (16.0, 18.0, 20.9, 25.6, 33.2, and 38.0 ksi). The minimum stress,
which is known to be an insignificant variable in fatigue of welded de-
tails, was set at 3 MPa (0.5 ksi) in all tests. Twelve specimens, G101-
G403, were fatigue tested as fabricated (0-yr weathering) to provide the
control data; 16 specimens, G111-G414, after a 3-yr weathering period;
and 22 specimens, G021-G424, after a 8-yr weathering period.
The remaining 12 specimens, G131-G433, were first weathered 3 yr.
Thereafter, they were alternately cycled to one-eighth of the mean life
of specimens G111-G414 and weathered for six months. The number of
intermittent cycles were 215,000, 63,000, 29,000, and 19,000 at the 144,
177, 229, and 262 MPa (20.9, 25.6, 22.9, and 38.0 ksi) stress ranges, re-
spectively. The reason for alternately weathering and cycling the spec-
imens was to model, within the limitations of the study, the conditions
in which bridge girders develop an oxide coating before the highway is
opened to traffic, followed by a rough simulation of the service conditions.
Weathering . ^ I n March 1974, the weathered specimens were placed
outdoors on a wooden rack sloping east at a 15° angle from the hori-
zontal. A gap of about 6 mm (1/4 in.) was left between adjacent spec-
imens. The slope and the gaps allowed for easy water runoff. The
weathering site was in University Park, Maryland, a residential suburb
along U.S. Route 1, inside 1-495, the Washington Capital Beltway. The
large metropolitan area has above average atmospheric pollution from
automobile exhaust gases (16). It has no major industry.
Alternate wetting and drying helps to form a dense oxide coating. The
weathered specimens became wet either from precipitation or from con-
densation during the humid dawn hours. In fact, Gutman and Sereda
(9) reported that the time of wetness at two inland sites corresponded
to times when the relative humidity exceeded 83%. Based on this find-
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 TAPLE 1.—Fatigue Test Data for Alternately Weathered Specimens

Stress range,
in megaPascals Fatigue Log-mean Weathering
Specimen (thousand pounds life, in fatigue life, time, in
number per square inch) kilocycles in kilocycles years
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(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

G131 144 1,274 864 r 5.5
G132 (20.9) 722 4.5
G133 659 4.5
G231 177 711 560 6.5
G232 (25.6) 586 6.5
G233 421 6
G331 229 246 237 6.5
G332 (33.2) 199 6
G333 265 6
G431 262 142 166 6
G432 (38.0) 205 6
G433 157 6

ing, and an analysis of the relative humidity readings reported every 3

hr by the U.S. Weather Service for the nearby Washington National Air-
port Station, it was determined that the specimens became wet on 48%
of the days. This amounts to about 0.48 x 3 x 365 = 525 wet-dry cycles
over the first 3 yr of weathering. Weather records were not analyzed
thereafter.
The 3-yr and 8-yr weathered specimens were removed from the rack
in March 1977 and March 1982, respectively. The alternately weathered
specimens were removed for the first time from the rack in March 1977,
after the initial 3-yr weathering period. Thereafter they were alternately
subjected to one-eighth-life block of cycles and 6-month weathering pe-
riods until they eventually failed. The number of 6-month weathering
periods depended on the number of cycles to failure. Including the first
3 yr, these specimens weathered from 4.5 yr-6.5 yr, as shown in the
last column of Table 1. The three specimens (G231, G232 and G331),
which had survived seven one-eighth-life blocks of cycles, were fatigue
tested to failure during the eighth application of cycles.
Test Equipment and Procedures.—All specimens were tested with a
load-controlled MTS closed loop system of 89 kN (20 kip) dynamic ca-
pacity driven by a 11.4-L/min (3-gal/min) pump. The specimen ends
were held with flat-plate friction grips. Central loading was ensured by
carefully alining each specimen with the aid of two templates. The cyclic
loading was sinusoidal and applied at frequencies ranging from 5 cycles/
sec at 262-MPa (38-ksi) stress range, to 10 cycles/sec at 110-MPa (16-ksi)
stress range. In this way, the loading rate was about 668 kN/sec (150
^ P ' s e c ) * or aU specimens at all stress ranges.
failure was defined as separation of the specimens into two pieces.
Any test lasting 10,000,000 cycles was discontinued and labeled "runout."
FATIGUE T E S T D A T A

Crack Initiation and Propagation.—All cracks initiated in the main

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 k»l
4O0r 60

O-YEAR RHOMBOID
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0-YEAR MEAN'

50 I -A- 1 ' I I ' L-i--.

CYCLES TO FAILURE

FIG. 3,—Fatigue Strength of Non-Weathered Control Specimens

plate at one or more points along the weld toe. They propagated through
the thickness until the net ligament of the main plate eventually rup-
tured at an average stress nearly equal to the tensile strength. The high
toughness of the steel precluded brittle failure.
Control Data.—The fatigue test data for the 12 non-weathered (0-yr)
control specimens, G101-G403, were given previously in Table 3 of Ref.
2. Fig. 3 shows the data points, and the mean regression line
l o g N = b - mlogfr (1)
obtained by the least squares method, and the two confidence limits at
two standard deviations from the mean
logN = {b ± 2s) - m log fT (2)
The stress range, fr, in Eqs. 1-2 must be substituted in units of MPa.
The values of the regression coefficients, b and m, the standard devia-
tion, s, and the coefficient of correlation, r, are listed in Table 2.
Three-Year Weathered Specimens.—The fatigue test data for the 16
3-yr weathered specimens, G111-G414, were also given previously in
Table 4 of Ref. 2. They are plotted herein in Fig. 4. The results of the
regression analysis are listed in Table 2. The four specimens, G111-G114,
tested at the lowest stress range [144 MPa (20.9 ksi)], were excluded
from the regression analysis because they failed the test of linearity for
the log-log linear S-N line defined by Eq. 1. The lack of linearity for these
four points is also visually apparent from the plot of the data in Fig. 4.

TABLE 2.—Results of Regression Analysis

Regression
Coefficients
Weathering Number of Standard Coefficient of
time, in specimens Specimens Intercept Slope deviation correlation
years included excluded b m s r
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
0 12 13.1897 3.226 0.1692 0.90
3 16 G111-G114 12.4822 3.017 0.1010 0.92
8 16 G021-G026 12.7197 3,167 0.1142 0.95
Alternate 12 12.0186 2.810 0.1022 0.95

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 ksl
400 60
• -

200 - -
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3-YEAR f-CAN-^ "

100 - A SKYWARD
-
tf GROUNDWARD
- -
SO r 1 , 1 i 1 l l i-C

CYCLES TO FAILURE

FIG. 4.—Fatigue Strength of 3-yr Weathered Specimens

The mean regression line and the two confidence limits are shown as a
set of three parallel lines.
Also shown in Fig. 4, for purposes of comparison, is the dashed "0-
yr rhomboid" bound by the two confidence limits for the control data
and the two horizontal lines at the lowest [144 MPa (20.9 ksi)] and the
highest [262 MPa (38.0 ksi)] stress ranges tested. The oblique sides are
separated by a factor of 104s = io 4 * 01692 = 4.75 on life. As can be seen,

TABLE 3.—Fatigue Test Data for 8-Yr Weathered Specimens

Stress range,
in megaPascals Fatique Log-mean
Specimen (thousand pounds life, in fatigue life, In Failure from
number per square inch) kilocycles kilocycles weld toe facing
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
G021 110 10,250 >10,345 Runout
G022 (16.0) 10,441 Runout
G023 124 2,477 >3,425 Sky
G024 (18.0) 2,742 Sky
G025 10,027 Runout
G026 2,021 Ground
G121 144 1,206 855 Sky
G122 (20.9) 680 Sky
G123 1,098 Sky
G124 593 Sky
G221 177 310 346 Ground
G222 (25.6) 501 Ground
G223 287 Sky
G224 322 Sky
G321 229 189 168 Ground
G322 (33.2) 136 Sky
G323 170 Sky
G324 181 Ground
G421 262 132 126 Ground
G422 (38.0) 138 Sky
G423 154 Ground
G424 : _ _ 90 Ground

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 hi!
400r 60
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8-YEAR MEAN 20

A SKYWARD
S7 GROUNDWARD
•~ RUNOUTS

»J ™J = J -

CYCLES TO FAILURE

FIG. 5.—Fatigue Strength of 8-yr Weathered Specimens

the 3-yr data fall about in the left half of the O-yr rhomboid, indicating
that weathering reduced the fatigue life. Only one point and the lower
confidence limit fall outside the O-yr rhomboid because the standard de-
viation of the 3-yr data was smaller than that of the O-yr data (Table 2),
thus narrowing the distance between the confidence limits from 4.75 for
the O-yr data to a factor of io 4 x o i m o = 2.54 on life for the 3-yr data.
Fig. 4 identifies the specimens that failed from weld toes facing the
sky or the ground during weathering. The data points seem well inter-
spersed, suggesting no significant effect of side of exposure on life.
Eight-Year Weathered Specimens.—The fatigue test data for the 22 8-
yr weathered specimens, G021-G324, are given in Table 3 and plotted
in Fig. 5. The results of the regression analysis are listed in Table 2. The
six specimens at the two lowest stress ranges, G021-G026, were ex-
cluded from the regression analysis because three of the six tests ran
out.
The mean regression line of the 8-yr data fell on the lower confidence
limit of the O-yr data. Within the bounds of comparable stress ranges, 8
of 16 = 50% of the 8-yr data points fell outside the O-yr rhomboid.
A comparison of Figs. 4-5 reveals that the loss in life after 8 yr of
weathering is larger than after 3 yr of weathering. The data points for
skyward vs. groundward failures are again well interspersed, suggesting
no significant effect of side of exposure on life.

MPa kol
4001- -i60

O-YEAR RHOMBOID

ALTERNATE MEAN

CYCLES TO FAILURE

FIG. 6.—Fatigue Strength of Alternately Weathered Specimens

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 Alternatively Weathered Specimens.—The fatigue test data for the 12
alternately weathered specimens, G131-G433, are given in Table 1 and
plotted in Fig. 6. The results of the regression analysis are listed in Table
2. The results for the alternately weathered specimens are very similar
to those for the 3-yr weathered specimens as can be seen by comparing
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Figs. 4 and 6. The data fell along the left half of the 0-yr rhomboid, with
two points and the lower confidence limit falling outside. The weath-
ering times varied from 4.5-6.5 yr for an average of 5.8 yr, depending
on the number of cycles to failure.

ANALYSIS

Effect of Weathering Time.—The data were examined with analysis

of variance, and in terms of the losses in stress range and fatigue life
due to weathering.
The relative net stress range after weathering is defined as

/r.. = r (3)
Jr2
in which frl/fr2 = the stress range ratio at 500,000 cycles calculated from
the mean regression lines for the weathered and non-weathered speci-
mens, respectively. The relative loss in stress range due to weathering
is therefore

Mr,W=l~T W
Since N = a mth power exponential function of f,, the corresponding
relative fatigue life after weathering is

(5)
"•-©"
with the relative loss in fatigue life due to weathering given by

AN, = 1 - VA (6)
The quantities Afr/W and &NW are shown in Fig. 16 of Ref. 1.
The losses were calculated about midway in the range of cycles to
failure usually measured in testing programs. This makes the loss in life
insensitive to slope variations of the two S-N lines being compared. An
exponent, m = 3.2, equal to the mean slope of the five regression lines
for the Category A-E data (499 points) was chosen to make the calcu-
lations compatible with the data base for the current specifications (7,8).
The mean slope of the four regression lines (56 points) listed in Table 2
is slightly less, i.e., m = 3.06.
The results, summarized at the beginning of Table 4, show a 42% loss
in life for the 3-yr and the alternately weathered specimens, and a 54%
loss for the 8-yr weathered specimens. The results are valid over the
domains of stress ranges in Figs. 4-6 that are covered by the mean
regression lines.
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 TABLE 4.—Analysis of Lass In Life Due to Weathering for Present and Previous
Data en Atmospheric Corrosion Resistant Steels
Stress Loss Loss
range in in
at stress fatigue
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500,000 range, life, Fatigue

Number Weath- cycles, as a as a notch
8
of ering in mega- per- per- factor,
Symbol speci- time, Pascals, centage, centage, K
f
In Type of Type of mens in U A/w AN„, (Eq.
Fig. 12 Reference steel detail tested years (Eq. 1) (Eq. 4) (Eq. 6) 13)
(D (2) (3) (4) (5) (6): (7) (8) (9) (10)
Present A588 Autom. 12 0 210 1.67
• study welded 16 3 177 15 42 1.98
transverse 22 8 165 21 54 2.13

• 13 SMA50
and
stiffeners
Base metal
12
73
66
6.5 alt.
0
2
177
373
287
15
—
23
42
—
57
1.98
0.94
1.22
SMA58 83 4 294 21 54 1.19
•^P" 13 SMA50 Butt weld 64 0 380 — — 0.92
and ground flush 70 2 285 25 60 1.23
SMA58 82 4 278 27 63 1.26
# 1 A588 Manually 29 0 172 — — 2.04
welded 20 2 160 7 21 2.18
transverse 20 4 159 8 22 2.19
stiffeners 16 2 alt. 175 -2" -6" 2.00
16 4 alt. 163 5 16 2.15
Jiiv 1 A588 102-mm 24 0 179 — — 1.95
attachments 15 2 177 — 6 1.98
20 4 173 4 10 2.03
8 2 alt. — — -8b —
8 4 alt. — — 9 —
"Weathering was continuous, unless noted otherwise,
increase in fatigue life.

The analysis of variance was carried out with the computer program
listed in Ref. 17. It allows for unequal numbers of specimens per cell.
The variation was said to be significant when the calculated value of the
F-statistics exceeded the tabulated value at the 5% level of significance,
a = 0.05.
The data for each of the three weathering times (3-yr, 8-yr, and alter-
nate) were compared separately against the control data (0-yr). The groups
of specimens, G111-G114 and G021-G026, were excluded because some
tests were runouts. The results, summarized in Table 5, suggest the fol-
lowing conclusions: (1) Stress range was the major source of variation
in fatigue life as indicated by the high values of the calculated F-ratio;
and (2) the loss in fatigue life was statistically significant for 3-yr, 8-yr,
and alternate weathering.
Effect of Side of Exposure.—The specimens were kept on the weath-
ering rack with the same surface always facing the sky. The skyward
surface was thoroughly washed by rain, which is important to A588 steel
because it helps to form a dense oxide coating. The groundward surface
was sheltered from the rain and became only moderately wet. Similar
variations in degree of exposure also occur in bridges, e.g., between fa-
cia girders and interior girders.
Fig. 4 shows that cracks in the 3-yr weathered specimens initiated in
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 TABLE 5.-—Results of Analysis of Variance
Number of
specimens Specimens Source of Calculated F-ratio at Variation
Series included excluded variation F-ratio a = 0.05 significant
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
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(«) Effect of Weathering Time

0-yr vs. 3-yr 12 G111-G114 Stress range 65.6 3.24 Yes
12 Weathering 9.5 4.49 Yes
0-yr vs. 8-yr 12 G021-G026 Stress range 57.8 3.1 Yes
16 Weathering 45.5 4.35 Yes
0-yr vs. 12 None Stress range 35.0 3.24 Yes
alternate 12 Weathering 13.2 4.49 Yes
(b) Effect of Side of Exposure
3-yr 16 None Stress range 85.7 4.07 Yes
Side of exposure 0.2 5.32 No
8-yr 16 G021-G026 Stress range 68.6 4.07 Yes
Side of exposure 0.7 5.32 No

about equal numbers at weld toes facing the sky or the ground (9 vs.
7). The proportion was 11-8 for the 8-yr weathered specimens listed in
Table 3. The effect of side of exposure on the number of cycles to failure
was determined by analysis of variance of the two series of continuously
weathered specimens. In these analyses, the fatigue lives of the skyward
failures were compared against the groundward failures. The results are
shown in Table 5. The effect of side of exposure was statistically insig-
nificant for the 3-yr and 8-yr weathered specimens because the calcu-
lated F-ratio was smaller than the critical value at the 5% level of
significance.
Comparison with Current Specifications.—It should be recalled that
the allowable S-N lines are identical in the AASHTO, AISC, AREA, and
AWS fatigue specifications. Transverse stiffeners fall under Category C,
which is, however, based on the test data for beams with 51-mm (2-in.)
attachments. Substituting b = 12.7626, m = 3.25, and s = 0.0628 for the

CYCLES TO FAILURE

FIG. 7.—Comparison of All Data with: (a) Mean S-N Line for Stiffeners Manually
Welded to Beam Web and Flanges; and (b) Allowable S-N Line for Category C
Details

2058

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 MPo LIMIT5 IN DE3CEH01N6 ORDER
400r O-YEAB 60
3-YEAR AND ALTERNATE
STIFFENERS ON BEAMS AND GIRDERS
6-YEAR
51-tnm ATTACHMENTS, EQ 7 (CAT. C)
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CYCLES TO FAILURE

FIG. 8.—Comparison of Lower Confidence Limits for Data from Present Study with:
(a) Lower Confidence Limit for Stiffeners Manually Welded to Beam Web and
Flanges; and (b) Allowable S-N Line for Category C Details

attachment data (7) into Eq. 2 yields the Category C allowable line shown
in Figs. 7-8:
log Nd = 12.6370 - 3.25 log Fs, (7)
Three ways of comparing the data with current specifications come to
mind. First, one can plot the data points against the allowable Category
C line given by Eq. 7. Fig. 7 shows that all 62 data points fall above this
line, despite the large losses in life. The reason for this was the high
quality of the automatic welds which ensured a long crack initiation life.
Indeed, the 0-yr data points in Fig. 7 fell by a considerable margin above
the mean regression line for stiffeners welded manually to beams and
girders (7).
Secondly, one can compare the lower confidence limits at two stan-
dard deviations to the left of the mean. For transverse stiffeners man-
ually welded to beams and girders, Ref. 7 lists b = 12.681, m = 3.097,
and s = 0.158. The corresponding values for each series tested in this
study are given in Table 2. Substituting these sets of values into Eq. 2
yields the four lower confidence limits drawn with dashed lines in Fig.
8. These lines are labeled in descending order of life; also shown are the
solidly drawn limits for stiffeners welded to beams and girders, and the
limit for 51-mm (2-in.) attachments (7). The latter is the Category C line
given by Eq. 7. The four limits for the data from the present study fall
above the Category C line. The 8-yr limit falls below the limit for stif-
feners welded to beams and girders.
Thirdly, one can compare safety factors. They are defined, for the pur-
pose of this evaluation, as the ratio between the mean fatigue life and
the allowable fatigue life. For stiffeners welded manually to beams and
girders, the mean regression line (7) is
logN = 12.681 - 3.097log fr (8)
The safety factor is equal to the difference between Eq. 8 and Eq. 7, i.e.:
log (F.S.) = 0.044 + 0.153 log/ r (9)
or, taking the antilog:
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 9

O-TEAR

s i ALTERNATE -v
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i Eql.B *io
,_->.^^-^^
3-YEAR
'
t.z
SAFE

B-YEAR

'• Eq.7 ---—

1 1 i t

STRESS RANGE (MPo) EXPOSURE TIME. YEARS

FIG. 9.—Mean Safety Factors on Fa- FIG. 10.—Corrosion and Pitting Pene-
tigue Life tration of Steels with Chemical Com-
position Comparable to A588 Weath-
ering Steel (Adapted from Ref. S)

F.S. = 1.11 /? 1 5 3 (10)

The stress range dependence comes from the slight difference in the
slope of the S-N lines. Eq. 10 is drawn in Fig. 9. The safety factors for
the four series of tests from the present study were calculated in a sim-
ilar manner. Fig. 10 shows that weathering reduced the safety factor on
life of the automatically welded stiffeners from about 4.0 for the 0-yr
data, to 2.5 for the 3-yr and alternate data, and to 1.9 for the 8-yr data.
These drops correspond to the reported 42% and 54% losses in life, re-
spectively. In comparison, the safety factor for non-weathered stiffeners
that were welded manually to beams and girders is about 2.5.

TABLE 6.—Analysis of Loss In Life Due to Weathering for Previous Data on Steels
with no Enhanced Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance
Loss in Loss In
Stress stress fatigue
range at range, life, as Fatigue
Number 500,000 as a per- a per- notch
Symbol of Weath- cycles, In centage, centage, factor,
In Refer- Type of Type of specimens ering megaPascals, A/r,» AN- Kf
Fig. 12 ence steel detail tested time S, (Eq- D (Eq. 4) (Eq. 6) (Eq. 13)
(D (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

• 13 SM50
and
Base metaf 62
69
0
2
359
274 24 58
0.96
1.28

o 13
SM58
SM50
and
SM58
Butt weld
ground flush
85
50
71
88
4
0
2
4
265
362
272
264
26
—
25
27
62
—
60
64
1.32
0.97
1.29
1.33
Q 18 SMS0A Notched plate 11
11
0
3
506
332
—
34
_
74
0.60
1.05
D> 18 SM50A Notched plate
R = -1
17
9
0
3
257a
196a
—
24
—
58
1.36*
1.79*
A 18 SM50A Butt weld as 18 0 302 — 1.16
V
o a
18
welded
SM5QA Butt weld as
welded R = - 1
10
41
11
3
0
3
252
396
279
17

30
44

67
1.39
0.88
1.25
Based on stress amplitude.

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 In summary, the data points and the lower confidence limits fell above
the allowable Category C line for 51-mm (2-in.) attachments. The mean
safety factor on life dropped from about 4.0 for the 0-yr data, to 1.9 for
the 8-yr data, i.e., below the safety factor of 2.5 for the manually welded
transverse stiffeners of the data base for current specifications.
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Comparison with Previous Data.—S-N lines for fatigue test data from
various sources can be conveniently compared with the aid of the fatigue
notch factor, Kf, defined in Fig. 1 of Ref. 4 as
frA _ 350 MPa
(11)
U
the ratio of the stress range for the Category A mean S-N line to the
stress range for the mean S-N line of the detail under consideration.
Both stress ranges were calculated with Eq. 1 at N = 500,000 cycles.
The fatigue notch factors for each series of specimens and the corre-
sponding losses in life due to weathering are summarized in Tables 4
and 6 for the present and all previous data. Ref. 1 contains complete
information on the previous data. The results are plotted in Fig. 11. Each
data point shows the mean loss in life for one series of specimens as a
function of the fatigue notch factor for the control specimens. The solid
symbols are for A588 and SMA weathering steels; the open symbols are
for SM steels which have no enhanced atmospheric corrosion resistance.
As a reference, and to compare the results with the data base for current
specifications, vertical lines were drawn at the fatigue notch factors for
the mean regression lines of the Categories A through E data.
Eq. 12, drawn with a dashed line in Fig. 11, envelops the previous
data for relative loss in life due to weathering:

FATIGUE NOTCH FACTOR EFORE WEATHERING, K,

FIG, 11.—Comparison of Effect of Weathering on Fatigue Life of Specimens Tested

In Previous and Present Studies. Symbols for Previous Data are Defined in Tables
4 and 6
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 AN„ = 1 - 0.38 Kf (12)
It is supported by data for specimens weathered at most 4 yr in the
region 0.69 S K , S 2.04, and assumed to be valid for Kf S 2.63. Above
that value it appears that the high stress concentration of the detail masks
the loss in life due to weathering so that AN,0 = 0. The only previous
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data point in Fig. 11 that falls above Eq. 12 was neglected because of
the uncertainty in using the stress amplitude, /„ = 0.5 fr, to calculate the
fatigue notch factor for a non-welded specimen subjected to full stress
reversal, R = — 1.
The data points for the three test series of the present study are plot-
ted in Fig. 11 with solid hexagonal symbols on the vertical line at Kf =
1.67. The two points for 3-yr weathering and alternate weathering co-
incide at AN B = 42%, and fall slightly above the 4-yr envelope for pre-
vious data given by Eq. 12. The data point for 8-yr weathering, &NW =
54%, falls much above the 4-yr envelope. All three series exhibited larger
losses in life than the loss predicted at Kf = 1.67: ANW = 1 - 0.38 • 1.67
= 37%.
Finally, two phenomena contribute to the total loss in life: (1) Weath-
ering prior to fatigue cycling; and (2) corrosion fatigue during the service
life. The former affects the crack initiation phase, while the latter affects
the crack propagation phase of the fatigue life. The total loss due to
weathering and corrosion fatigue (1) is given by
AN, = 1 - 0.27 Kf (13)
Eq. 13 is plotted as a solid line in Fig. 11. Evidently, the 54% loss in life
of the 8-yr weathered stiffeners tested in the present study is about equal
to the predicted total loss in life, AN, = 1 - 0.27 x 1.67 = 55%. Eqs.
12-13 may have to be revised if additional fatigue test data obtained
from long-term weathered specimens bear out the progressive loss in
life with exposure time found herein.

CONCLUSIONS

Summarized in the following are the main conclusions of the present

study:

1. The corrosion rates fell within the band for ideally weathered spec-
imens reported by others.
2. The fatigue strength of the 0-yr control specimens was closer to the
mean for the Category B welded beams than to the mean for the Cat-
egory C stiffeners manually welded to beams and girders. This high
strength resulted from the excellent quality of the automatic submerged-
arc welds.
3. Three years and alternate weathering reduced the fatigue life by
42%. Eight years of weathering reduced it by 54%.
4. The effect of weathering on loss in life was statistically significant
for all three weathering conditions.
5. The effect of side of exposure was statistically insignificant for 3-yr
and 8-yr weathering.
6. The data points and the lower confidence limits for the weathered
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 specimens fell above the allowable Category C line for 51-mm (2-in.)
attachments. In current fatigue specifications, transverse stiffeners are
designed to that line.
7. Weathering reduced the mean safety factor on life from about 4.0
for the control specimens, to 2.5 for the 3-yr and alternately weathered
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specimens, and to 1.9 for the 8-yr weathered specimens. In comparison,

the safety factor on life for manually welded beam stiffeners is about
2.5.
8. Despite the large losses in life and safety factor, the data fell above
the allowable Category C line for two reasons: (1) The high initial fatigue
strength of the non-weathered control specimens; and (2) the reduction
of the standard deviation of the data with weathering.
9. The 54% loss in life after 8 yr of weathering is much greater than
the 37% loss predicted from an analysis of previous data for specimens
weathered at most 4 yr. It is about equal to the previously predicted
total loss of 55% due to weathering and corrosion fatigue.

The present data confirm the finding of previous Japanese and Mary-
land studies that weathering reduces the fatigue strength of A588 steel
structures. This main conclusion is now based on a total of 1,229 fatigue
tests. All previous data came from specimens weathered at most 4 yr.
The present work contributes data for 8 yr of exposure and shows that
the fatigue life degradation continues with length of exposure, albeit at
a lower rate.
Previous studies by Copson (5), and Hiam and Pietrowski (10) help
to explain the observed behavior. Copson reported the corrosion pen-
etration and the pitting penetration of 142 alloy steels that were exposed
to an industrial atmosphere (Bayonne, N.J.) and a marine atmosphere
(Block Island, R.I.). The data for those steels with chemical compositions
matching the requirements for A588 grade A weathering steel are plot-
ted in Fig. 10. The corrosion penetration was calculated from weight
loss. The pitting penetration is an average for the deepest pits. The data
show that: (1) Corrosion and pitting penetration increase with time, but
at a decreasing rate; (2) pit depths after 9.1 yr of exposure were about
four times greater than the penetration calculated from weight loss; and
(3) the ratio of pit depth to average corrosion penetration remained about
the same with time.
Hiam and Pietrowski (10) fatigue tested plates fabricated from high-
strength low-alloy steel (Dofascoloy SOW) and hot-rolled low-carbon steel
(0.06% C). Each plate had a single pit of different depth. For the two
steels, they found a progressive loss in life to 86% and 92%, respectively,
when the pit depth was increased to 300 |xm (0.012 in.), a value com-
parable to the pitting penetration of weathering steels after 9.1 yr of
exposure in the Bayonne industrial atmosphere.
One can conclude that weathering causes rust pitting, which in turn
increases the severity of the notch provided by the weld toe and reduces
the fatigue life. The corrosion penetration, pitting penetration, and loss
in life continue to increase with exposure time at a declining rate.
All data available to date came from specimens weathered at most 8
yr under ideal conditions that were suitable for the formation of a pro-
tective oxide coating. This requires: (1) Intermittent washing by rain-
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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 water and thorough drying without prolonged wetting periods; (2) ab-
sence of heavy concentrations of corrosive pollutants, especially deicing
salts; and (3) absence of details that trap moisture, dirt, or debris a n d ,
thus, foster a corrosive environment. It is not yet possible to predict the
fatigue strength which weathering steel structures might exhibit t o w a r d s
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the end of their service life (50 yr for bridges), or w h e n subjected to less
than ideal conditions. Work in progress will undoubtedly help to in-
crease the understanding of these effects. Meanwhile, engineers are ad-
vised to design n e w weathering steel structures for fatigue to reduce
allowable stress ranges, such as those p r o p o s e d in Ref. 1.

APPENDIX.—REFERENCES

1. Albrecht, P., "Fatigue Behavior of Weathered Steel Bridge Components," Re-

port No. FHWA/MD-81/02, Department of Civil Engineering, University of
Maryland, College Park, Md., Dec, 1982.
2. Albrecht, P., and Friedland, I. M., "Fatigue Tests of 3-Year Weathered A588
Steel Weldment," Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 106, No. ST5,
May, 1980.
3. Albrecht, P., and Friedland, I. M., "Preliminary Fatigue Test Data for a
Weathered A588 Weldment," Report No. FHWA-MD-R-78-7, Department of
Civil Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Md., July, 1978.
4. Albrecht, P., and Simon, S., "Fatigue Notch Factors for Structural Details,"
Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 107, No. ST7, July, 1981.
5. Copson, H. R., "Long-Time Atmospheric Corrosion Tests on Low-Alloy
Steels," Proceedings, American Society for Testing and Materials, Vol. 60, 1960,
pp. 650-666.
6. Cosaboom, B., Mehalchick, G., and Zoccola, J. C , "Bridge Construction with
Unpainted High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel; Eight-Year Progress Report," Re-
port No. 79-001-7799, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Trenton, N.J.,
Feb., 1979.
7. Fisher, J. W., Albrecht, P. A., Yen, B. T., Klingerman, D. J., and McNamee,
B. M., "Fatigue Strength of Steel Beams with Welded Stiffeners and Attach-
ments," NCHRP Report 147, Transportation Research Board-National Re-
search Council, 1974.
8. Fisher, J. W., Frank, K. H., Hirt, M. A., and McNamee, B. M., "Effect of
Weldments on the Fatigue Strength of Steel Beams," NCHRP Report 102,
Transportation Research Board-National Research Council, 1970.
9. Gutman, H., and Sereda, P. J., "Measurements of Atmospheric Factors Af-
fecting the Corrosion of Metals," STP 435, American Society for Testing and
Materials, Philadelphia, Pa., 1968.
10. Hiam, J. R., and Pietrowski, R., "The Influence of Forming and Corrosion
on the Fatigue Behavior of Automotive Steels," Paper No. 780040, Society
of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pa., Mar., 1978.
11. Horton, J. B., "The Rusting of Low Alloy Steels in the Atmosphere," pre-
sented at the San Francisco Regional Technical Meeting, American Iron and
Steel Institute, Booklet 2385-A, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem, Pa.,
1965.
12. Kuba, N. G., and Stallmeyer, J. E., "The Behavior of Stiffened Beams under
Repeated Loads," Structural Research Series No. 173, University.of Illinois, Ur-
bana, 111., Apr., 1959.
13. Kunihiro, T., Inove, IC, and Fukuda, T., "Atmospheric Exposure Study of
Weathering Steel," Research Laboratory Report Br. 71-08, Ministry of Con-
struction, Tokyo, Japan, 1972 (in Japanese).
14. "Mayari R Weathering Steel," Booklet 2781-A, Bethlehem Steel Corporation,
Bethlehem, Pa., Dec, 1974.
15. McCrum, R. L., and Arnold, C. J., "Weathering Steel Guardrail, a Materials

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J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:2048-2065.

 Performance Evaluation," Report No. R-1155, Michigan Department of Trans-
portation, Lansing, Mich., Nov., 1980.
16. "Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Index," Report No. 1, Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments, Washington, D.C., Nov., 1973.
17. "MISDAT-Missing Data," Stat-Pack Programmer Reference, UP-7502, Rev. 1,
Sperry Rand Corporation, 1973.
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18. Nihei, M., Yohda, M., and Sasaki, E., "Fatigue Properties for Butt Welded
Joint of SM 50 A High Tensile Strength Steel Plate," Transactions of National
Research Institute for Metals, Japan, Vol. 20, No. 4, 1978.

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