Orthotropic　steel　decks　(OSD＇s)　are　susceptible　to　fatigue　failure　due　to　cyclic　loading.　Often　fatigue　cracks　are　found　in　the　joint　between　the　deck　plate　and　the　trough.　Due　to　the　welding　process,　residual　stresses　are　present　in　and　around　the　joint.　In　this　paper,　the　effect　of　residual　stresses　on　the　fatigue　crack　propagation　rate　has　been　evaluated.　First,　a　FE　model　has　been　made　to　predict　and　validate　the　residual　stress　field　of　the　OSD　due　to　welding.　The　validation　of　residual　stresses　is　made　comparing　measured　data　at　the　surface　of　the　OSD　and　over　the　thickness　of　the　deck　flange.　The　residual　stresses　are　used　to　subsequently　model　for　a　crack　propagation　analysis　based　on　extended　finite　element　method　(XFEM).　The　fatigue　crack　simulation　including　residual　stress　field　shows　good　correlation　compared　to　the　experimental　data,　while　the　simulation　without　residual　stress　field　shows　less　correlation.　The　effects　of　the　residual　stresses　are　relatively　large　as　the　tensile　transversal　residual　stresses　increase　the　crack　propagation,　while　the　tensile　longitudinal　residual　stresses　decrease　the　crack　propagation　rate.　The　optimal　modelling　of　the　component　of　residual　stresses　is　investigated.　©　2020　The　Authors