Improvement of aerodynamic stability of suspension bridges with H-shaped simplified stiffening girder

Wind-tunnel study on the improvement of aerodynamic stability of simplified suspension-bridge girder structures was conducted with using a 1/40-scaled section model. Objective of the study is the development of an economically superior suspension bridge with 500-1,000 m center span length. The wind-tunnel test showed that an edge-girder type cross section exhibited large amplitude torsional vortex-induced vibration as well as torsional flutter at a low wind speed. Accordingly, aerodynamic countermeasures of open grating deck and triangular faring, and structural countermeasures of center stay, diagonal bracing and mass increase were tried to improve the aerodynamic stability. Finally, feasibility of the best combination to a full-scale bridge was examined by structural analysis. (C) Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016