Optimal Design and Fatigue Performances of Innovative Corrugated Orthotropic Steel Deck Plate-RPC Layer Composite Deck Structure

Fatigue problem of orthotropic steel deck posed great challenges to the sustainable development of bridges all over the world. Improving mechanical performance, increasing local rigidity, and decreasing stress concentration at the fatigue-prone details were the foundation to solve fatigue problem. Developing innovative composite deck structure was one of the promising solutions. An innovative composite deck structure was investigated, which composed of corrugated orthotropic steel deck plate, reactive powder concrete (RPC) layer and stud shear connectors. To explore the mechanical performance of the composite deck structure under different parameter combinations, an optimal design method was presented based on the BP (Back Propagation) artificial neural network. And a multi-object design optimal model was established to achieve the optimal structure design. The fatigue performance of the presented deck system under the typical fatigue vehicle load was analyzed by finite-element model. The fatigue stress amplitudes of the fatigue-prone details of the steel deck were decreased obviously. The results indicate that the presented optimal design method is feasible in determining the optimal structure design. The controlling fatigue-prone detail of steel structure is the cross weld between the corrugated deck plate and diaphragm. The innovative composite deck structure possesses excellent mechanical properties and fatigue performance.