Fatigue strength at end plate connections – Experimental and numerical Investigations.
The application of head plate connections is a popular approach in steel construction. In crane construction the connection between parts of a crane runway girder can also be realized with such rigid connections. As a crane has to complete tasks in a moving fashion, a pure static dimensioning is insufficient. The fatigue strength of these components has to be evaluated. For this purpose, twelve of these joints were analyzed using the effective notch stress approach and were put under stress in a series of fatigue tests. Consequently, a FAT value could be determined and this value was compared to the FAT 225 value of the effective notch stress concept. The fatigue behavior of the pre‐stressed bolts was examined using the nominal stress concept.