Service life indicator for highly stressed light-weight structures

Abstract

The invention relates to a service life indicator for monitoring structures, such as pioneering bridges, which are designed with a limited fatigue strength and whose service life is therefore limited. A service life indicator for monitoring structures, such as pioneering bridges designed with a limited fatigue strength and consequently limited service life, is provided. The service life indicator includes a strip of material as a test piece, having at least one hole arranged off-center in the test piece and a notch extending from an edge of the hole in a direction of an edge of the test piece for determining material fatigue. The notch extends to a nearest edge of the test piece and includes two mutually opposite grooves having the same cross-sectional shape that can be one of round, elliptical, oval, v-shaped and trapezoidal in cross-section.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.