Enhancement of Aerostatic Stability of a 1600 m-Span Centrally-Slotted Box Girder Cable-Stayed Bridge: A Parametric Analysis

Modern long-span cable-supported bridges are increasingly vulnerable to strong winds, making wind-induced static instability a critical design consideration. This paper comprehensively investigates the aerostatic stability of a 1[Formula: see text]600[Formula: see text]m centrally-slotted box girder cable-stayed bridge through finite element analysis and wind tunnel testing. A parametric sensitivity analysis examined the influence of aerodynamic coefficients, cable drag, cross-section shape parameters, and control measures on bridge stability. Results reveal that the drag coefficient [Formula: see text] exerts the most significant influence on critical wind speed [Formula: see text], followed by the lift coefficient [Formula: see text], while the moment coefficient [Formula: see text] has a lesser impact. Increasing cable drag significantly reduces [Formula: see text], underscoring the importance of cable aerodynamics. Conversely, increasing wind fairing apex height [Formula: see text] enhances stability, while increasing the inner-side web height ratio [Formula: see text] is detrimental. Among investigated flow control measures, a guide plate combined with a wind barrier proved most effective in improving critical wind speed. These results offer significant implications for designing long-span bridges, providing a comprehensive understanding of key design parameters and effective flow control strategies to enhance wind-induced static stability and the structure’s wind resistance.