Non-linear buffeting response analysis of long-span suspension bridges with central buckle

The rigid central buckle employed in the Runyang Suspension Bridge (RSB) was the first time it was used in a suspension bridge in China. By using a spectral representation method and FFT technique combined with measured data,a 3D fluctuating wind field considering the tower wind effect is simulated. A novel FE model for buffeting analysis is then presented,in which a specific user-defined Matrix27 element in ANSYS is employed to simulate the aeroelastic forces and its stiffness or damping matrices are parameterized by wind velocity and vibration frequency. A nonlinear time history analysis is carried out to study the influence of the rigid central buckle on the wind-induced buffeting response of a long-span suspension bridge. The results can be used as a reference for wind resistance design of long-span suspension bridges with a rigid central buckle in the future.

Analysis of the Quasi-Static Buffeting Responses of Transmission Lines to Moving Downburst

Downburst event is identified as a major cause to failure of transmission lines in non-coastal regions.In this paper,a novel nonlinear analytical frame for quasi-static buffeting responses of hinged and multi-span insulator-line systems are derived based on the theory of cable structure.The closed-form solutions are presented and applied to predict nonlinear response including displacements and other reactions of the system subjected to a moving downburst wind in a case study.Accuracy and efficiency of the derived analytical frame are validated via comparisons with results from finite element method.

Effects of Tuned Mass Damper on Wind-Induced Vibration of Free Standing Pylon by Wind Tunnel Test

In order to assess the effects of tuned mass dampers （TMDs） on wind actions, an aeroelastic model with a scale of 1：60 was constructed. Tests were performed in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel to investigate the buffeting response of the pylon with a TMD fixed by a wire rope instead of a spring. The model was tested under different levels of damping. The experimental and numerical results showed that with the TMD in the optimal condition, the buffeting response was reduced by 47%.

Safety and serviceability assessment for high-rise tower crane to turbulent winds

Tower cranes are commonly used facilities for the construction of high-rise structures.To ensure their workability,it is very important to analyze their response and evaluate their condition under extreme conditions.This paper proposes a general scheme for safety and serviceability assessment of high-rise tower crane to turbulent winds based on time domain buffeting response analysis.Spatially correlated wind velocity field at the location of the tower crane was first simulated using an algorithm for generating the time domain samples of a stationary,multivariate stochastic process according to some prescribed spectral density matrix.The buffeting forces applied to the structure were computed according to the above-simulated wind velocity fluctuations and the lift,drag,and moment coefficients obtained from a CFD computation.Those spatially correlated loads were then fed into a well calibrated finite element model and the nonlinear time history analysis was conducted to compute structural buffeting response.Compared with structural onsite response measurement,the computed response using the proposed method has good precision.The proposed method is then adopted for analyzing the buffeting response of an in-use tower crane under the design wind speed and the maximum operational wind speed for safety and serviceability assessment.