Case Studies of In-Situ Residual Stress Measurements on Bridges and Structures

The importance of understanding the stress state of bridges and structures cannot be underestimated, especially insofar as safety and structural integrity are concerned. While the stresses that are applied to bridges and structures during usage are usually well understood, often the residual stresses that may be present are not. This is mainly due to the inherent complexity of most bridges and large structures in combination with the environmental conditions that they are subject to during their service lives. In instances where residual stresses cannot be predicted or modeled, it is often necessary to measure them experimentally, in-situ on the bridge or structure itself. The following article demonstrates the value of XRD-based residual stress analysis as a tool for engineers to assess the residual stresses present in critical infrastructure. The case studies presented highlight the best practices (e.g., national standards) during field characterization scenarios that provide the highest quality data possible to support key engineering outcomes related to service life predictions and structural condition assessments.