Fatigue testing of wires from the Forth Road Bridge, Scotland

A detailed fatigue analysis of wires from the Forth Road Bridge's suspension cables reveals that corrosion fatigue, hydrogen-assisted cracking, and branched cracking are primary fracture mechanisms contributing to wire failures. The study provides critical insights into the degradation processes affecting the bridge's structural integrity, complementing earlier findings on crack initiation and propagation. Researchers conducted tensile tests, fatigue testing, and galvanic coating integrity assessments to systematically evaluate these mechanisms. While prior work suggested multiple fracture modes, this research clarifies their interplay and confirms that corrosion fatigue plays a significant role in wire failures under cyclic loading conditions.

Roffey, P., Davies, E. H., & Gould, T. L. A. (2014). Fatigue testing of wires from the Forth Road Bridge, Scotland. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Forensic Engineering, 167(2), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.1680/feng.13.00017