Fatigue Behaviour of Gusset Plate Connection between Arch and Hangers in Tied-arch Bridges with Different Angles

In tied-arch bridges, the connection between the hangers and the arch is a critical structural component. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fatigue behaviour of gusset plate shapes used to connect hangers to HD arch sections. An optimized gusset plate design, developed in a previous research campaign was considered in a series of fatigue tests to evaluate its performance under cyclic loading conditions, in particular when the gusset plate has different inclinations from the standard ones contained in Eurocode. The experimental results were then compared against the relevant detail category outlined in the European standards. The findings demonstrated a fatigue behaviour that was superior to the equivalent detail category specified in the standards. These results indicate that the proposed optimised design may offer improved fatigue performance in practical applications.