Analytical assessment in wind-resistant design of long-span bridges in Japan

Aerodynamic stability of long-span bridges in Japan has been assessed mainly by wind-tunnel tests. With recent significant progress of wind engineering and computer technology, analytical assessment methods have played an important role in the wind-resistant design and given a great deal of knowledge about the aeroelasticity of long-span bridges. However, analytical assessment has not taken the place of wind-tunnel tests yet. This paper first overviews the past and present treatment of analytical assessment for flutter and buffeting in the wind-resistant design of long-span bridges in Japan, then presents its typical procedures, and finally observes the present and future direction of analytical assessment in the wind-resistant design of long-span bridges in Japan.