Aerodynamic Instability Investigations of a Novel, Flexible and Lightweight Triple-Box Girder Design for Long-Span Bridges
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 12
Abstract
The present paper investigates the possibilities for avoiding classical flutter and static divergence for very long-span suspension bridges with a novel, flexible, and lightweight triple-box girder. Previous studies have shown that the critical classical flutter wind speed tends to decline with the main span width. Other studies have shown that flutter can be avoided if the torsional frequency is lower than the vertical. The road to get there in practice, however, is complicated. The possibility for tuning the torsional natural frequency without affecting the vertical frequency is used in the present paper. The effect on aerodynamic stability is analyzed in detail for low torsional-to-vertical frequency ratios typical for very long-span bridges with lightweight and flexible girders. The present study includes nonlinear finite-element analysis and static, free vibration and forced motion wind tunnel tests. Aerodynamic stability has been obtained in a section model test with a lightweight setup corresponding to a bridge girder mass of only 6.38 t/m in full scale. Flutter was not observed for any torsional-to-vertical frequency ratios in the range from . Stability was observed up to wind speeds of approximately 88 m/s in full scale for a 2,125.2-m span. The aerodynamic stability obtained in the configurations of the present section at shows that this might be an economically feasible solution for future long-span suspension bridges because aerodynamic stability is achieved even though the torsional stiffness and the mass of the deck are low.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support from COWIfonden made the present wind tunnel tests possible, which is gratefully acknowledged. FORCE Technology made its wind tunnel and equipment available. Special thanks to Bartosz Siedziako and Ole Øiseth for supervision on the estimation of flutter derivatives from forced motion tests and multimodal flutter analysis. Benjamin Laustsen and Emrah Sahin are acknowledged for their contribution to the development finite-element tools used in the present work. Our extended thanks goes to Allan Larsen, Søren V. Larsen, and Mads B. Eriksen for valuable guidance in the planning and execution of the wind tunnel tests.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 12 • December 2018
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 9, 2017
Accepted: Jun 14, 2018
Published online: Sep 25, 2018
Published in print: Dec 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Feb 25, 2019
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