JOURNALOF

Journal of Wind Engineering ®~(~71j~i~

ELSEVIER and Industrial Aerodynamics 67&68 (1997) 942

Computer simulation of the dynamic response

of wind-loaded large bridges under limit load conditions
Imre Kov~tcs a, Karlheinz Beyer a, Narimichi O b a b
aBiiro fffr Baudynamik GmbH, Bessemerstrasse 2, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany
b Obayashi Corporation, Hongo 2-2-9, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan

Abstract

Gusty wind often represents the dimensioning case for large bridges, for which it is
difficult to predict realistic limit loads. The spectral-analytical method, normally
applied for checking the behaviour of such bridges under wind loads, uses a number of
approximations (linearizations, simplified flow/body interaction). The simulation
method presented here represents a more realistic approach, taking account both of
the complex interaction between flow and vibrating body and of the non-linear
stiffness of the load-carrying system. The simulation is performed under r/o-fold wind
loads. The load-carrying safety is checked through the statistical evaluation of
simulation results.

0167-6105/97/$17.00 ~) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

PII S01 6 7 - 6 1 0 5 ( 9 7 ) 0 0 1 3 4 - 7