Role of moveable guide vane with various configurations in controlling the vortex-induced vibration of twin-box girder suspension bridges: An experimental investigation

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of a moveable guide vane with various configurations (i.e., horizonal length and stiffness) in controlling the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a long-span suspension bridge with twin-box girder. First, a series of VIV tests of the 1:50 scaled ratio of sectional model with various guide vane configurations were performed. The vertical and torsional displacements of the twin-box girder as well as the vertical response of the windward and leeward guide vane measured to analyze the movement characteristics of the main girder and guide vanes, respectively. The test results show that, the moveable guide vane could significantly reduce the maximum vertical and torsional displacement responses of the main girder with an immovable guide vane or without a guide vane, especial under the most unfavorable wind attack angle of +3 degrees. In addition, a moveable guide vane with relatively low stiffness could produce a better outcome of VIV control. Furthermore, the increase of the horizontal length of the guide vane could have a negative impact on the VIV control of the bridge. Importantly, the maximum vertical amplitude of the moveable guide vane is generally larger than that of the main girder, indicates that the leeward guide vane could play an important role in the VIV suppression when the stiffness of the guide vane is over certain threshold (e.g., 19 g/mm).

Automated summary

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of a moveable guide vane with various configurations in controlling the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a long-span suspension bridge with twin-box girder. VIV tests were conducted on a 1:50 scaled model with different guide vane configurations. The results show that the moveable guide vane can significantly reduce the maximum displacement responses of the main girder, especially under unfavorable wind attack angles. The stiffness and length of the guide vane also affect the VIV control, with lower stiffness and shorter length leading to better outcomes. The leeward guide vane plays an important role in VIV suppression when its stiffness exceeds a certain threshold.