Influence of Structural Design on the Aeroelastic Stability of Brancusi’s Endless Column
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 134, Issue 6
Abstract
Brancusi’s Endless Column (Târgu-Jiu, Romania) is an interesting case study in bluff body aeroelasticity. It has been referred to as aeroelastically indifferent owing to its remarkable aeroelastic stability. This stability has been attributed to its unconventional shape. Calculations are presented which show that this strictly aerodynamic view of the column behavior is incomplete, and that the structural dynamics characteristics of the column have a powerful role in ensuring its aeroelastic stability. The calculations show that the column’s design, which provided for significant damping and mass, would assure its aeroelastic stability even if the column had a conventional and aeroelastically less favorable shape, i.e., if it were a circular cylinder (a shape that is unfavorable from the point of view of vortex-induced response) or a square cylinder (a shape that is unfavorable from the point of view of galloping).
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Acknowledgments
The writer performed this work during his tenure as an NIST-NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate. The advice of his advisor, Dr. Emil Simiu, is gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 134 • Issue 6 • June 2008
Pages: 462 - 465
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 20, 2007
Accepted: Oct 18, 2007
Published online: Jun 1, 2008
Published in print: Jun 2008
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Kuang-An Chang
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