PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-09-0036
Project Name:	Synthesis of Aerodynamic Results from Prior Wind Tunnel Bridge Investigations Conducted in North America
Status:	Active
Contact:	Last Name: Bosch First Name: Harold R Telephone: 202-493-3031 E-mail: harold.bosch@dot.gov
Organization:	Federal Highway Administration - Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Team:	Hazard Mitigation Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap
Project Description:	An aerodynamic assessment, usually involving one or several wind tunnel tests, is almost always conducted on any design proposed for long-span bridges. Over the years, since the dramatic collapse of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, hundreds of such studies have been performed in North America. These studies have largely been performed in one of three laboratories in Canada or the Federal Highway Administration Aerodynamics Laboratory at Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center; a few others have been conducted in select U.S. labs. The results of these investigations represent a wealth of technical information that could significantly advance our understanding and serve as an aid for design of future bridges. Unfortunately, much of the results and details of this work remain in the hands of the laboratories conducting the work and in possession of the design consultants who commissioned the work. The results that are published are not complete and are scattered about in the literature. There is a need to catalog the results of these studies so that all researchers and designers can benefit from this information.
Laboratories:	Aerodynamics Laboratory
Start Date:	September 1, 2009
End Date:	December 31, 2013
Funding Amount:	$125,000.00
FHWA Program Name:	Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment
Goals:	The objective of the study is to work with other laboratories in North America to gain access to their archives so that we may collect, catalog, and synthesize valuable information from their bridge aerodynamic investigations.
Project Type:	Onsite
Background Information:	Data not yet available
Test Methodology:	All laboratories in North America with a significant history of test activity in this field will be contacted regarding their interest in participating in this project. For those who will partner with us, we will request detailed results of their past, current, and future wind tunnel tests along with permission to use those results in this project and any related future work. While information in electronic form is preferred, it is likely that results from older tests may have to be extracted from hardcopy documents. The test results will be organized and summarized in a report as well as compiled into a live database.
Other Information:	Data not yet available
Partners:	Data not yet available
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	Data not yet available
Expected Benefits:	Data not yet available
Deliverables:	Name: Research report. Product Type(s): Research report Description: The results will be compiled into a comprehensive document suitable for use by researchers, designers, and owners. Audiences: Researchers, Bridge owners, Bridge design professionals, Bridge countermeasure design professionals, Wind engineers, Federal Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center staff Secondary Audiences:
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	Data not yet available
FHWA Topics:	Roads and Bridges--Design Roads and Bridges--Structures Roads and Bridges--Major Projects
TRT Terms:	Aerodynamics Long Span Bridges Wind Tunnel Aerodynamic Stability Wind Infrastructure Bridges Research
FHWA Disciplines:	Structures Design Environment
Subject Areas:	Bridges and other structures Design Environment