On wind-rain induced vibration of cables of cable-stayed bridges based on quasi-steady assumption

Wind-rain induced vibration of cables of cable-stayed bridges is presently a problem of great concern. Similar to the classical galloping theory, this paper adopts quasi-steady assumption to study wind-rain induced vibration of cables. A wind tunnel test was first made to measure wind pressures and thus wind forces acting on a 3-D cable model and the upper artificial rivulet model. A new theoretical model for instability of a 2-D sectional rigid model with a moving artificial rivulet is then established and the instability criterion is proposed. The instability criterion is verified through wind tunnel test on a 2-D rigid sectional cable model with a moving artificial rivulet. Finally, theoretical models of wind-rain induced vibration of 3-D sectional cables and 3-D continuous cables are, respectively, developed based on the measured mean wind forces mentioned above, and the vibration characteristics are investigated as well as an explanation of the mechanism of wind-rain induced vibration of stay cables is made. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved