Characteristics of strong winds at the Runyang Suspension Bridge based on field tests from 2005 to 2008

Field measurement of strong wind characteristics is of great significance for the development of bridge wind engineering. Located in east China, the Runyang Suspension Bridge (RSB) with a main span of 1490 m is the longest bridge in China and the third longest in the world. During the last four years, the RSB has suffered from typhoons and strong northern winds on more than ten occasions. To determine the strong wind characteristics of the RSB, wind measurement data obtained from field tests during strong winds and data from the wind environment monitoring subsystem of the structural health monitoring system (SHMS) of the RSB were combined to analyze the wind speed and direction, variation in wind speed with height, turbulence intensity, turbulence integral length, wind friction speed and the power spectrum. Comparative studies on the characteristics of these different strong winds were carried out based on the current wind-resistant design specification for highway bridges. Results showed that some regularity in wind characteristics can be found in these different typhoons passing through the RSB. The difference between a strong northern wind and a typhoon is relatively clear, and in summer the typhoon is the dominant wind load acting on the RSB. In addition, there were some differences between the measured strong wind characteristics and the values suggested by the specification, especially in respect to turbulence intensity and turbulence integral length. Results provide measurement data for establishing a strong wind characteristic database for the RSB and for determining the strong wind characteristic parameter values of this coastal area in east China.

[1]  B. Shiau,et al.  In situ measurement of strong wind velocity spectra and wind characteristics at Keelung coastal area of Taiwan , 2001 .

[2]  H. W. Tieleman,et al.  Strong wind observations in the atmospheric surface layer , 2008 .

[3]  Hao Wang,et al.  Field measurement on wind characteristic and buffeting response of the Runyang Suspension Bridge during typhoon Matsa , 2009 .

[4]  Pang Jia.  Field measurements of strong wind characteristics near ground in Pudong district , 2002 .

[5]  G. Naito.  TURBULENT PROPERTIES AND SPECTRAL BEHAVIOURS OF OCEAN WINDS OBSERVED AT AN OFF-SHORE TOWER , 1988 .

[6]  Yozo Fujino,et al.  System identification of suspension bridge from ambient vibration response , 2008 .

[7]  P. R. Sparks,et al.  Wind conditions in Hurricane Hugo by measurement, inference, and experience , 1992 .

[8]  Qiusheng Li,et al.  Full-scale measurements and numerical evaluation of wind-induced vibration of a 63-story reinforced concrete tall building , 2004 .

[9]  Xinqun Zhu,et al.  Wind characteristics of Typhoon Dujuan as measured at a 50m guyed mast , 2006 .

[10]  Hiroshi Katsuchi,et al.  Full-Scale Measurement of Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge during Typhoon , 2001 .

[11]  H. Panofsky,et al.  Atmospheric Turbulence: Models and Methods for Engineering Applications , 1984 .

[12]  A. Davenport.  The spectrum of horizontal gustiness near the ground in high winds , 1961 .

[13]  Yl L. Xu,et al.  Buffeting response of long-span cable-supported bridges under skew winds. Part 2: case study , 2005 .

[14]  Lawrence A. Twisdale,et al.  Wind-Field and Filling Models for Hurricane Wind-Speed Predictions , 1995 .

[15]  A. Davenport.  Buffeting of a Suspension Bridge by Storm Winds , 1962 .

[16]  Takeshi Ohkuma,et al.  Full scale measurements of wind velocity in two urban areas using an ultrasonic anemometer , 1992 .

[17]  H. F. Xiang,et al.  Wind turbulence characteristics study at the Stonecutters Bridge site: Part I-Mean wind and turbulence intensities , 2009 .

[18]  C.P.W. Geurts,et al.  Coherence of wind-induced pressures on buildings in urban areas: Set up of a full-scale experiment , 1996 .

[19]  E. Choi.  Characteristics of typhoons over the South China Sea , 1978 .

[20]  Yaojun Ge,et al.  Recent development of bridge aerodynamics in China , 2008 .

[21]  Jørgen Løvseth,et al.  Gale force maritime wind. The Frøya data base. Part 1: Sites and instrumentation. Review of the data base , 1995 .

[22]  K.W.Y. Chan,et al.  Field measurement results of Tsing Ma suspension bridge during typhoon Victor , 2000 .

[23]  J. Kaimal,et al.  Spectral Characteristics of Surface-Layer Turbulence , 1972 .

[24]  Z. Q. Chen,et al.  Field measurements on wind-rain-induced vibration of bridge cables with and without MR dampers , 2003 .

[25]  J. D. Holmes,et al.  Wind Loading of Structures , 2001 .

[26]  Emil Simiu,et al.  Database-Assisted Design, Standardization, and Wind Direction Effects , 2001 .