Enhanced corrosion fatigue analytical framework for suspenders: Integrating bending effect and fracture process of wire bundle

Suspender is widely recognized as an integral component in calculating the corrosion fatigue life based on linear elastic fracture mechanics, traditionally overlooking the bending effect and the wire fracture process. To enhance the accuracy of fatigue life assessment for corroded suspenders, an advanced analytical framework was developed. The arrangement and configuration of the steel wire bundle inside the suspender component were analyzed. The corrosion intrusion and wire breakage process were numerically modeled, facilitating a comprehensive corrosion fatigue life analysis. Findings reveal that enhanced methodology yields more conservative evaluation outcomes compared to conventional approach. Bending effect and the wire bundle fracture process significantly accelerate the fatigue crack propagation in corroded steel wires, leading to a maximum reduction of 17.35% in the fatigue life of short suspender, whereas the impact on long suspender is comparatively minimal. The integration of displacement-controlled device has been shown to effectively delay the onset of fatigue failure.