• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.63-76
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• 2009

The vortex-induced vibration of an ${\sqcap}$-shaped bridge deck sectional model is studied in this paper via the wind tunnel experiment. The vibratory behavior of the model shows that there is a transition of the predominant vibration mode from the vertical to the rotational degree of freedom as the wind speed increases gradually or vice versa as the wind speed decreases gradually. The vertical vibration is, however, much weaker in the latter case than in the former. This is a phenomenon which is difficult to model by existing parametric models for vortex-induced vibrations. In order to characterize the aeroelastic property of the ${\sqcap}$-shaped sectional model, a time domain force identification scheme is proposed to identify the time history of the aeroelastic forces. After the application of the proposed method, the resultant fluid forces are re-sampled in dimensionless time domain so that reduced frequency response function (RFRF) can be obtained to explore the properties of the vortex-induced wind forces in reduced frequency domain. The RFRF model is proven effective to characterize the correlation between the wind forces and bridge deck motions, thus can explain the aeroelastic behavior of the ${\sqcap}$-shaped sectional model.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.555-576
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• 2007

Statistical analysis on the measured responses of a suspension bridge deck (Law, et al. 2007) show that vibration response at the first torsional mode of the structure has a significant increase at and beyond the critical wind speed for vortex shedding as noted in the wind tunnel tests on a sectional model. This paper further analyzes the measured responses of the structure when under typhoon conditions for any possible vortex shedding events. Parameters related to the lifting force in such a possible event and the vibration amplitudes are estimated with a single-degree-of-freedom model of the system. The spatial correlation of vortex shedding along the bridge span is also investigated. Possible vortex shedding events are found at both the first torsional and second vertical modes with the root-mean-square amplitudes comparable to those predicted from wind tunnel tests. Small negative stiffness due to wind effects is observed in isolated events that last for a short duration, but the aerodynamic damping exhibits either positive or negative values when the vertical angle of wind incidence is beyond ${\pm}10^{\circ}$. Vibration of the bridge deck is highly correlated in the events at least in the middle one-third of the main span.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.327-347
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• 2015

This paper investigates the effects of Reynolds number (Re) on the aerodynamic characteristics of a twin-deck bridge. A 1:36 scale sectional model of a twin girder bridge was tested using the Wall of Wind (WOW) open jet wind tunnel facility at Florida International University (FIU). Static tests were performed on the model, instrumented with pressure taps and load cells, at high wind speeds with Re ranging from $1.3{\times}10^6$ to $6.1{\times}10^6$ based on the section width. Results show that the section was almost insensitive to Re when pitched to negative angles of attack. However, mean and fluctuating pressure distributions changed noticeably for zero and positive wind angles of attack while testing at different Re regimes. The pressure results suggested that with the Re increase, a larger separation bubble formed on the bottom surface of the upstream girder accompanied with a narrower wake region. As a result, drag coefficient decreased mildly and negative lift coefficient increased. Flow modification due to the Re increase also helped in distributing forces more equally between the two girders. The bare deck section was found to be prone to vortex shedding with limited dependence on the Re. Based on the observations, vortex mitigation devices attached to the bottom surface were effective in inhibiting vortex shedding, particularly at lower Re regime.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.643-660
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• 2015

The wind tunnel test of large-scale sectional model and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are employed for the purpose of studying the aerodynamic appendices and mechanism on suppression for the vortex-induced vibration (VIV). This paper takes the HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as an example to conduct the wind tunnel test of large-scale sectional model. The results of wind tunnel test show that it is the crash barrier that induces the vertical VIV. CFD numerical simulation results show that the distance between the curb and crash barrier is not long enough to accelerate the flow velocity between them, resulting in an approximate stagnation region forming behind those two, where the continuous vortex-shedding occurs, giving rise to the vertical VIV in the end. According to the above, 3 types of wind fairing (trapezoidal, airfoil and smaller airfoil) are proposed to accelerate the flow velocity between the crash barrier and curb in order to avoid the continuous vortex-shedding. Both of the CFD numerical simulation and the velocity field measurement show that the flow velocity of all the measuring points in case of the section with airfoil wind fairing, can be increased greatly compared to the results of original section, and the energy is reduced considerably at the natural frequency, indicating that the wind fairing do accelerate the flow velocity behind the crash barrier. Wind tunnel tests in case of the sections with three different countermeasures mentioned above are conducted and the results compared with the original section show that all the three different countermeasures can be used to control VIV to varying degrees.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2001

The classical two-degree-of-freedom (2-d-o-f) "sectional model" is currently used to study the dynamics of suspension bridges. Taking into account the first pair of vertical and torsional modes of the bridge, it describes well global oscillations caused by wind actions on the deck and yields very useful information on the overall behaviour and the aerodynamic and aeroelastic response, but does not consider relative oscillation between main cables and deck. The possibility of taking into account these relative oscillations, that can become significant for very long span bridges, is the main purpose of the 4-d-o-f model, proposed by the Authors in previous papers and fully developed here. Longitudinal deformability of the hangers (assumed linear elastic in tension and unable to react in compression) and external loading on the cables are taken into account: thus not only global oscillations, but also relative oscillations between cables and deck can be described. When the hangers go slack, large nonlinear oscillations are possible; if the hangers remain taut, the oscillations are small and essentially linear. This paper describes the model proposed for small and large oscillations, and investigates in detail the limit condition for linear response under harmonic actions on the cables (e.g., like those that could be generated by vortex shedding). These results are sufficient to state that, with geometric and mechanical parameters in a range corresponding to realistic cases of large span suspension bridges, large relative oscillations between main cables and deck cannot be excluded, and therefore should not be neglected in the design. Forthcoming papers will investigate more general cases of loading and dynamic response of the model.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.451-470
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• 2003

The classical two-degree-of-freedom (2-d-o-f) "sectional model" is of common use to study the dynamics of suspension bridges. It takes into account the first pair of vertical and torsional modes of the bridge and describes well global oscillations caused by wind actions on the deck, yielding very useful information on the overall behaviour and the aerodynamic and aeroelastic response; however, it does not consider relative oscillations between main cables and deck. On the contrary, the 4-d-o-f model described in the two Parts of this paper includes longitudinal deformability of the hangers (assumed linear elastic in tension and unable to react in compression) and thus allows to take into account not only global oscillations, but also relative oscillations between main cables and deck. In particular, when the hangers go slack, large nonlinear oscillations are possible; if the hangers remain taut, the oscillations remain small and essentially linear: the latter behaviour has been the specific object of Part I (Sepe and Augusti 2001), while the present Part II investigates the nonlinear behaviour (coexisting large and/or small amplitude oscillations) under harmonic actions on the cables and/or on the deck, such as might be generated by vortex shedding. Because of the discontinuities and strong nonlinearity of the governing equations, the response has been investigated numerically. The results obtained for sample values of mechanical and forcing parameters seems to confirm that relative oscillations cannot a priori be excluded for very long span bridges under wind-induced loads, and they can stimulate a discussion on the actual possibility of such phenomena.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.45-57
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• 2016

Open-cross-section composite beam (OCB) tends to suffer vortex-induced vibration (VIV) due to its bluff aerodynamic shape. A cable-stayed bridge equipped with typical OCB is taken as an example in this paper to conduct sectional model wind tunnel test. Vortex-induced vibration is observed and maximum vibration amplitudes are obtained. CFD approach is employed to calculate the flow field around original cross sections in service stage and construction stage, as well as sections added with three different countermeasures: splitters, slabs and wind fairings. Results show that flow separate on the upstream edge and cause vortex shedding on original section. Splitters can only smooth the flow field on the upper surface, while slabs cannot smooth flow field on the upper or lower surface too much. Thus, splitters or slabs cannot serve as valid aerodynamic means. Wind tunnel test results show that VIV can only be mitigated when wind fairings are mounted, by which the flow field above and below the bridge deck are accelerated simultaneously.