Prediction of Wind Velocity to Raise Vortex-Induced Vibration through a Road-Rail Bridge with Truss-Shaped Girder

Abstract

Vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of bridges, related to fluid-structure interaction and maintenance of bridge monitoring system, causes fatigue and serviceability problems due to aerodynamic instability at low wind velocity. Extensive studies on VIV have been performed by directly measuring the vortex shedding frequency and the wind velocity for indicating the largest girder displacement. However, previous studies have not investigated a prediction of wind velocity to raise VIV with a various natural frequency of the structure because most cases have been focused on the estimation of the wind velocity and peeling-off frequency by the mounting structure at the fixed position. In this paper, the method for predicting wind velocity to raise VIV is suggested with various natural frequencies on a road-rail bridge with truss-shaped girder. For this purpose, 12 cases of dynamic wind tunnel test with different natural frequencies are performed by the resonance phenomenon. As a result, it is reasonable to predict wind velocity to raise VIV with maximum RMS displacement due to dynamic wind tunnel tests. Furthermore, it is found that the natural frequency can be used instead of the vortex shedding frequency in order to predict the wind velocity on the dynamic wind tunnel test. Finally, curve fitting is performed to predict the wind velocity of the actual bridge. The result is shown that predicting the wind velocity at which VIV occurs can be appropriately estimated at arbitrary natural frequencies of the dynamic wind tunnel test due to the feature of Strouhal number determined by the shape of the cross section.