Computational aeroelastic modelling to guide long-span bridge cross-section design

This paper presents a critical investigation into the numerical modelling of vortex-induced oscillations and flutter of bridge sections using finite elements on stationary and moving two-dimensional grids. One aim is to investigate whether such an approach can be used to guide the development of the aerodynamic cross-section during the design phase. The predictions of one commercial code running on moderate computational resources are compared with the results of physical tests at model- and full-scale, giving particular attention to the influence of boundary-layer modelling. In summary, the predicted shedding frequencies associated with vortex-induced oscillations were substantially inaccurate, whereas the predictions for flutter behaviour were somewhat more successful. It would thus appear that this particular numerical approach, when implemented on computational resources similar to those employed here (a fast workstation), does not yet provide a reliable tool for use in design.