• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.513-534
• /
• 2008

This paper examines local vibrations in the stay cables of a cable-stayed bridge subjected to wind gusts. The wind loads, including the self-excited load and the buffeting load, are converted into time-domain values using the rational function approximation and the multidimensional autoregressive process, respectively. The global motion of the girder, which is generated by the wind gusts, is analyzed using the modal analysis method. The local vibration of stay cables is calculated using a model in which an inclined cable is subjected to time-varying displacement at one support under global vibration. This model can consider both forced vibration and parametric vibration. The response characteristics of the local vibrations in the stay cables under wind gusts are described using an existing cable-stayed bridge. The results of the numerical analysis show a significant difference between the combined parametric and forced vibrations and the forced vibration.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.481-500
• /
• 2017

A novel three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) forced vibration system has been developed for identification of aeroelastic (self-excited) load parameters used in time-domain response analysis of wind-excited flexible structures. This system is capable of forcing sinusoidal motions on a section model of a structure that is used in wind tunnel aeroelastic studies along all three degrees of freedom - along-wind, cross-wind, and torsional - simultaneously or in any combination thereof. It utilizes three linear actuators to force vibrations at a consistent frequency but varying amplitudes between the three. This system was designed to identify all the parameters, namely, aeroelastic- damping and stiffness that appear in self-excited (motion-dependent) load formulation either in time-domain (rational functions) or frequency-domain (flutter derivatives). Relatively large displacements (at low frequencies) can be generated by the system, if required. Results from three experiments, airfoil, streamlined bridge deck and a bluff-shaped bridge deck, are presented to demonstrate the functionality and robustness of the system and its applicability to multiple cross-section types. The system will allow routine identification of aeroelastic parameters through wind tunnel tests that can be used to predict response of flexible structures in extreme and transient wind conditions.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.95-104
• /
• 1999

The dynamic properties of one-span or multi-span reinforced concrete footbridges of catenary form (see e.g., Fig. 1) include the very low fundamental natural frequency, usually near the step-frequency of pedestrians, and the low damping of bending vibrations. The paper summarized the results of model as well as full-scale measurements with particular reference to the influence of torsional rigidity of the stress-ribbon on the magnitude of aerodynamic response, the results of measurements on footbridges of catenary form being completed by results obtained on footbridges of some other types. Additionally the influence of the local broadening of the bridge deck on the bridge response was tested. Starting from these results the criterion has been derived for the decision, whether the flutter analysis is necessary for the design of the footbridge.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.463-479
• /
• 2007

A series of wind tunnel sectional model dynamic tests of a twin-deck bridge were conducted at the CLP Power Wind/Wave Tunnel Facility (WWTF) of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to investigate the effects of gap-width on the self-excited vibrations and the dynamic and aerodynamic characteristics of the bridge. Five 2.9 m long models with different gap-widths were fabricated and suspended in the wind tunnel to simulate a two-degrees-of-freedom (2DOF) bridge dynamic system, free to vibrate in both vertical and torsional directions. The mass, vertical frequency, and the torsional-to-vertical frequency ratio of the 2DOF systems were fixed to emphasize the effects of gap-width. A free-vibration test methodology was employed and the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) was utilized to extract the eight flutter derivatives and the modal parameters from the coupled free-decay responses. The results of the zero gap-width configuration were in reasonable agreement with the theoretical values for an ideal thin flat plate in smooth flow and the published results of models with similar cross-sections, thus validating the experimental and analytical techniques utilized in this study. The methodology was further verified by the comparison between the measured and predicted free-decay responses. A comparison of results for different gap-widths revealed that variations of the gap-width mainly affect the torsional damping property, and that the configurations with greater gap-widths show a higher torsional damping ratio and hence stronger aerodynamic stability of the bridge.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.349-361
• /
• 2015

Higher-mode vertical vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) have been observed on several steel box-girder suspension bridges where different vertical modes are selectively excited in turn with wind velocity in accordance with the Strouhal law. Understanding the relationship of VIV amplitudes for different modes of vibration is very important for wind-resistant design of long-span box-girder suspension bridges. In this study, the basic rectangular cross-section with side ratio of B/D=6 is used to investigate the effect of different modes on VIV amplitudes by section model tests. The section model is flexibly mounted in wind tunnel with a variety of spring constants for simulating different modes of vibration and the non-dimensional vertical amplitudes are determined as a function of reduced velocity U/fD. Two 'lock-in' ranges are observed at the same onset reduced velocities of approximately 4.8 and 9.4 for all cases. The second 'lock-in' range, which is induced by the conventional vortex shedding, consistently gives larger responses than the first one and the Sc-normalized maximum non-dimensional responses are almost the same for different spring constants. The first 'lock-in' range where the vibration frequency is approximately two times the vortex shedding frequency is probably a result of super-harmonic resonance or the "frequency demultiplication". The main conclusion drawn from the section model study, central to the higher-mode VIV of suspension bridges, is that the VIV amplitude for different modes is the same provided that the Sc number for these modes is identical.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.443-465
• /
• 2014

Hyperbolic thin-shell cooling towers have complicated vibration modes, and are very sensitive to the effects of group towers and wind-induced vibrations. Traditional aero-elastic models of cooling towers are usually designed based on the method of stiffness simulation by continuous medium thin shell materials. However, the method has some shortages in actual engineering applications, so the so-called "equivalent beam-net design method" of aero-elastic models of cooling towers is proposed in the paper and an aero-elastic model with a proportion of 1: 200 based on the method above with integrated pressure measurements and vibration measurements has been designed and carried out in TJ-3 wind tunnel of Tongji university. According to the wind tunnel test, this paper discusses the impacts of self-excited force effect on the surface wind pressure of a large-scale cooling tower and the results show that the impact of self-excited force on the distribution characteristics of average surface wind pressure is very small, but the impact on the form of distribution and numerical value of fluctuating wind pressure is relatively large. Combing with the Complete Quadratic Combination method (hereafter referred to as CQC method), the paper further studies the numerical sizes and distribution characteristics of background components, resonant components, cross-term components and total fluctuating wind-induced vibration responses of some typical nodes which indicate that the resonance response is dominant in the fluctuating wind-induced vibration response and cross-term components are not negligible for wind-induced vibration responses of super-large cooling towers.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.5 no.6
• /
• pp.527-542
• /
• 2002

Wind-excited vibrations of slender structures can induce fatigue damage and cause structural failure without exceeding ultimate limit state. Unfortunately, the growing importance of this problem is coupled with an evident lack of simple calculation criteria. This paper proposes a mathematical method for evaluating the crosswind fatigue of slender vertical structures, which represents the dual formulation of a parallel method that the authors recently developed with regard to alongwind vibrations. It takes into account the probability distribution of the mean wind velocity at the structural site. The aerodynamic crosswind actions on the stationary structure are caused by the vortex shedding and by the lateral turbulence, both schematised by spectral models. The structural response in the small displacement regime is expressed in closed form by considering only the contribution of the first vibration mode. The stress cycle counting is based on a probabilistic method for narrow-band processes and leads to analytical formulae of the stress cycles histogram, of the accumulated damage and of the fatigue life. The extension of this procedure to take into account aeroelastic vibrations due to lock-in is carried out by means of ESDU method. The examples point out the great importance of vortex shedding and especially of lock-in concerning fatigue.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.471-484
• /
• 2003

The rain-wind induced vibration of stays is a phenomenon discovered recently and not well explained yet. As it is influenced by a wide range of physical parameters (cable size and shape, wind speed, direction and turbulence, rain intensity, material repellency and roughness, cable weight, damping and pre-strain), this peculiar phenomenon is difficult to reproduce in laboratory controlled conditions. A successful wind tunnel experimental campaign, in which some basic physical quantities were measured, allowed an extensive analysis as to identify the parameters of the rain-wind induced excitation. The unsteady pressure field and water thickness around a cable model were measured under rainy-excited conditions. The knowledge of those parameters provided helpful information about the air-flow around the cable and allowed to clarify the physical phenomenon which produces the excitation.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.89-106
• /
• 2005

For estimating the vortex excited vibrations of overhead transmission lines, the Energy Balance Principle (EBP) is well established for spans damped near the ends. Although it involves radical simplifications, the method is known to give useful estimates of the maximum vibration levels. For very long spans, there often is the need for a large number of in-span fittings, such as in-span Stockbridge dampers, aircraft warning spheres etc. This adds complexity to the problem and makes the energy balance principle in its original form unsuitable. In this paper, a modified version of EBP is described taking into account in-span damping and in particular also aircraft warning spheres. In the first step the complex transcendental eigenvalue problem is solved for the conductor with in-span fittings. With the thus determined complex eigenvalues and eigenfunctions a modified energy balance principle is then used for scaling the amplitudes of vibrations at each resonance frequency. Bending strains are then estimated at the critical points of the conductor. The approach has been used by the authors for studying the influence of in-span Stockbridge dampers and aircraft warning spheres; and for optimizing their positions in the span. The modeling of the aircraft warning sphere is also described in some detail.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.401-420
• /
• 2007

Field measurements of the wind-induced response of two residential reinforced concrete buildings, among the tallest in the world, have been performed during two typhoons. Natural periods and damping values have been determined and compared with other field measurements and empirical predictors. Suitable and common empirical predictors of natural period and structural damping have been obtained that describe the trend of tall, reinforced concrete buildings whose structural vibrations have been measured in the collection of studies in Hong Kong compiled by the authors. This data is especially important as the amount of information known about the dynamic parameters of buildings of these heights is limited. Effects of the variation of the natural period and damping values on the alongwind response of a tall building for serviceability-level wind conditions have been profiled using the gust response factor approach. When using this approach on these two buildings, the often overestimated natural periods and structural damping values suggested by empirical predictors tended to offset each other. Gust response factors calculated using the natural periods and structural damping values measured in the field were smaller than if calculated using design-stage values.