An investigation of Reynolds number effects on the steady and unsteady aerodynamic forces on a 1 : 10 scale bridge deck section model

In general, the aerodynamic stability of long span bridges is evaluated bas ed on the results of wind tunnel tests in the low Reynolds number region, b ecause in almost all wind tunnel tests, it is impracticable to satisfy Reyn olds number similitude. Therefore, from a wind engineering point of view, i n order to correctly evaluate conventional wind tunnel test results, Reynol ds number effects on the steady and unsteady aerodynamic force coefficients acting on bridge decks must be carefully investigated. This paper gives th e results of research on Reynolds number effects on steady and unsteady aer odynamic force coefficients measured in the wide Reynolds number region fro m 1.1 x 104 to 1.5 x 106 based on the dimension of deck height. Three types of bridge deck section models with different scales, including a 1 : 10 sc ale model, were used in three types of wind tunnels, including the NRCC 9m x 9m wind tunnel. It was found that conventional wind tunnel test results i n the low Reynolds number region are conservative for wind resistant-design of bridge decks. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.