THE EFFECT OF SECTION MODEL DETAILS ON AEROELASTIC PARAMETERS

In the five decades since the flutter-induced failure of the Tacoma Na rrows bridge, understanding of the physical mechanisms at work has adv anced. On the one hand, numerical modeling capability, most notably th rough the finite element method, and developments in the theory of ran dom vibration have contributed; on the other hand, wind tunnel modelin g remains of central importance relative to long-span bridges. The res ults presented herein indicate the critical dependence of the aeroelas tic behavior on even minor details such as a deck railing. These parti cular observations have important general implications for both 2-D an d 3-D modeling. The paper examines a particular problem of details in some depth to emphasize its importance.