Numerical simulation of wind turbulence and buffeting analysis of long-span bridges

A consistent approach for buffeting analysis of long-span bridges in time domain is presented. As the input for the approach, time histories of wind turbulence are numerically generated by the ARMA method. Validity of simulated turbulence is improved since the spatial correlation between different wind velocity components are fully accounted. A new buffeting analysis scheme is then presented. By complex modal analysis via Mode Tracing method, actual modal characteristics of the system in the presence of aeroelastic phenomena at a certain wind speed can be obtained. Coupled responses are thus effectively captured. Numerical example is made for the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge. By using the scaled version of turbulence generated in wind tunnel, the analytical results agree very well with those of experiment. Some effects on the results due to differences between characteristics of turbulence simulated in wind tunnel and turbulence characteristics proposed from literature are thus clearly pointed out. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.