Advances in modeling boundary layer turbulence and its effects on motion independent aerodynamic force of bridge decks

Abstract

Abstract Wind tunnel tests remain crucial to solving the wind-induced issues, such as buffeting. The turbulence impacts on the aerodynamic forces is vital to buffeting responses of a bridge, which has been neglected, for that traditional passive wind tunnel test simulations are mainly to perform smaller turbulence integral scale, compared with the reduced-scale similarity. A turbulence hybrid simulation device that integrates vibrating grids and active fans was proposed, realizing a detectable adjustment of the bi-directional pulse energy of the incoming turbulence. The simulation development of the active turbulence in the wind tunnel test was reviewed briefly firstly. To investigate turbulence influence on the aerodynamic forces, the pressure-measurement wind tunnel tests of typical bridge decks were carried out in active control wind tunnel. The impacts of different incoming turbulence on the aerodynamic force and buffeting response were furtherly discussed. Results revealed that the bi-direction (along-wind and vertical wind) influenced aerodynamic forces synergistically. Otherwise, turbulence integral scale strongly influenced aerodynamic characteristics, such as buffeting responses, notably, the buffeting responses obtained in active controlled wind tunnel would be reasonable for a safety evaluation of bridges under construction and operation.

Keywords

• Active controlled wind tunnel
• Bi-direction incoming wind
• Spatial coherence
• Turbulence integral scale
• Buffeting response of the bridge