Parameter sensitivity study on flutter stability of a long-span triple-tower suspension bridge

The flutter instability is the most hazardous wind-induced vibration for the long-span suspension bridge. In this study, the first-built long-span triple-tower suspension bridge in China, the Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge, is taken as an example. The three-dimensional flutter stability analysis of the bridge is conducted based on ANSYS, and the parametric analysis on the structural flutter stability is performed. The parameters studied in this paper include the sag-to-span ratio, the stiffness of the main girder, the dead load of the main girder, the rigid central buckle, the longitudinal stiffness of the middle tower and the cable system. The result shows that the torsional stiffness of the main girder, the sag-to-span ratio of cables, the central buckle and the cable system has significant influence on the flutter stability of the bridge. Among the sensitive parameters found in this paper, the influence of the cable system is prominent. However, the influences of the stiffness of the main girder, the longitudinal stiffness of the middle tower and the dead load of the deck are limited. The results can provide the reference information for wind resistance design of long-span triple-tower suspension bridges in the future. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.