Internal Pressure Induced Load on Single-sided Fillet Welds of Small-sized Box Girders

Small-sized box girders have been successfully used in steel and composite bridges for several decades. Internal pressure measurements on small-sized box girders have shown that there are seasonal and daily fluctuations in internal pressure. These pressure fluctuations cause bending stress on the longitudinal single-sided fillet welds. In Germany, this load case is considered by the regulation “RE-ING”. This regulation leads to an increase in the weld thickness. As part of the ongoing research project "Economic Dimensioning of Fillet Welds in Small-Sized Box Girders," this unplanned stress and the load-bearing capacity of single-sided welded fillet welds are investigated. The aim of the research project is to further develop the current design method in terms of material efficiency while maintaining the safety level of the Eurocode. This contribution presents the first results of the research project "Economic Dimensioning of Fillet Welds in Small-Sized Box Girders."