Orthotropic　steel　bridges　were　found　to　experience　early　fatigue　failures　of　several　welded　connections　in　the　steel　deck　plate.　The　welding　process　inevitably　produces　welding　residual　stresses　and　deformations　that　should　be　evaluated　and　considered　to　better　understand　the　fatigue　life　of　steel　bridges.　Aiming　to　study　the　residual　stress　distribution　of　hybrid　steel　u-rib　stiffened　plates,　the　blind　hole　method　was　applied.　Various　parameters,　including　the　plate　widths,　the　ratio　of　the　u-rib　thickness　to　the　motherboard　thickness,　and　the　steel　strength　of　the　combination　of　the　u-rib　with　the　motherboard,　were　considered,　and　nine　specimens　were　subjected　to　experimental　tests.　The　results　indicate　that　strain　release　factors　have　great　impact　on　the　calculated　residual　stress:　as　the　value　of　strain　release　factor　increases,　the　calculated　residual　stress　in　absolute　term　increases　accordingly.　However,　due　to　experimental　errors,　as　the　ratio　of　the　motherboard　to　the　u-rib　thickness　varies　from　1:2　to　1:2.5　and　the　u-rib　spacing　increases　from　120　mm　to　160　mm,　the　residual　stress　value　and　the　distribution　change　are　not　obvious;　when　different　steel　strengths　were　used　in　the　specimens,　as　the　material　yield　strength　of　the　motherboard　(u-rib)　increases,　the　residual　tensile　stress　peaks　of　the　motherboard　(u-rib)　increase,　while　the　residual　tensile　stress　distribution　of　the　u-rib　(motherboard)　remains　essentially　the　same.　Based　on　the　comparison　between　the　cutting　method　and　the　blind　hole　method,　the　values　from　residual　stress　test　points　appear　to　be　similar;　from　the　perspective　of　measuring　points＇　distribution　and　the　directions　of　the　tested　residual　stress,　the　cutting　method　cannot　test　the　weld　location,　and　the　residual　stress　at　the　measuring　point　can　only　be　obtained　along　the　cutting　direction　because　the　blind　hole　method　can　test　the　weld　location　residual　stress,　and　the　residual　stress　of　the　measuring　point　can　be　obtained　in　any　direction.　(C)　2016　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.