AEROELASTIC ANALYSIS OF BRIDGE GIRDER SECTIONS BASED ON DISCRETE VORTEX SIMULATIONS

Two-dimensional viscous incompressible flow past bridge girder cross-s ections are simulated using the discrete vortex method. The flow aroun d stationary cross-sections as well as cross-sections undergoing cross -wind vertical (bending) and rotary (torsional) motions are investigat ed for assessment of drag coefficient, Strouhal number and aerodynamic derivatives for application in aeroelastic analyses. Good to excellen t agreement with wind tunnel test results is demonstrated for analyses of forced wind loading, flutter wind speed and vertical vortex-induce d response of four practical girder cross-sections. The success of the simulations is attributed to the bluff nature of the cross-sections a nd to the two-dimensional (2-D) nature of flow around bridge girders.