Driving safety analysis of wind-vehicle-bridge system considering aerodynamic interference

This paper aims to analyse the driving safety of road vehicles travelling over long-span bridges under crosswinds in a more reasonable manner by considering the aerodynamic interference from the bridge (which has been neglected in previous studies). Firstly, based on the overset dynamic mesh technique in CFD simulations, the aerodynamic coefficients of three representative road vehicles were investigated for moving on a twin-box girder bridge deck and flat ground, respectively. Subsequently, taking a superlong cable-stayed bridge as an example, the dynamic response of the wind-vehicle-bridge system was calculated using the separation iterative method, and the effects of aerodynamic interference, location of traffic lanes, wind angle of attack, travelling speed, and wind speed on driving safety were analysed according to the contact forces of the wheels. The results show that aerodynamic interference has a substantial impact on driving safety, which affects not just the accident wind speeds but also the type of accidents for high-sided vehicles. Finally, a four-level traffic-control strategy for the investigated bridge was developed according to the minimum accident wind speed in cases considering aerodynamic interference, which can provide a reference for operational decision-making for long-span bridges with similar geometric characteristics in crosswind environments.