Wind-induced performance of long-span bridge with modified cross-section profiles by stochastic traffic

The presence of traffic on a slender long-span bridge (SLB) deck has two types of primary impacts: (1) modification of the bridge cross-section profiles, which may influence the flutter derivatives and in turn, wind-induced aeroelastic loads acting on the bridge and (2) additional dynamic loads acting on the bridge including dynamic interactions from the vehicles. As compared to the investigations on the impact of traffic as external dynamic loads, those on the impact from the modification of bridge cross-section profiles are rather rare. A scaled bridge section model with vehicle models distributed on the bridge deck has been tested in the wind tunnel laboratory following the simulated stochastic traffic flow. With the flutter derivatives obtained from the wind tunnel experiments of various modified bridge cross-section profiles by traffic, the present study is to numerically evaluate the impact on the wind-induced performance of the long-span bridge, such as the aeroelastic performance, buffeting response and potential fatigue accumulation.

► Cross-section profiles of SLBs are modified by stochastic traffic. ► Numerically evaluate the impact from stochastic traffic. ► Traffic affects the aeroelastic performance of SLBs.