Orthotropic steel decks are widely used in the construction of steel bridges. Although there are many fatigue-evaluation methods stipulated by codes, unexpected fatigue cracks are still detected in some bridges. To justify whether the local finite element model commonly used in fatigue investigations on orthotropic decks can correctly instruct engineering practices, the Arlequin framework is applied in this paper to determine the full fatigue stress under traffic loads. The convergence on and validity of this application for orthotropic decks are checked. Results show that the Arlequin model for deck-fatigue analysis established in this paper tends to be an efficient method for complete fatigue stress acquisition, whereby the vulnerable sites of orthotropic steel decks under traffic loads are defined. Vehicles near the flexible components, such as hangers or cables, can have adverse effects on the fatigue durability of decks. Additionally, the total number of vehicles and their arrangement concentration also affect fatigue performance. Complex traffic conditions cannot be fully loaded in local models. Regardless of the gross bridge mechanics and deck deformation, the fatigue stress range is underestimated by about 30-40%. Such a difference in fatigue assessment seems to explain the premature cracks observed in orthotropic steel decks.
Keywords: Arlequin framework; engineering guidance; finite element analysis; orthotropic steel deck; premature fatigue cracks.