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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

Report
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-083
Date: August 2007

Wind-Induced Vibration of Stay Cables

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Table of Contents

Cable-stayed bridges have become the form of choice over the past several decades for bridges in the medium- to long-span range. In some cases, serviceability problems involving large amplitude vibrations of stay cables under certain wind and rain conditions have been observed. This study was conducted to develop a set of consistent design guidelines for mitigation of excessive cable vibrations on cable-stayed bridges.

The project team started with a thorough review of existing literature; this review indicated that while the rain/wind problem is known in sufficient detail, galloping of dry inclined cables was the most critical wind-induced vibration mechanism in need of further experimental research. A series of wind tunnel tests was performed to study this mechanism. Analytical and experimental research was performed to study mitigation methods, covering a range of linear and nonlinear dampers and crossties. The study also included brief studies on live load-induced vibrations and establishing driver/pedestrian comfort criteria.

Based on the above, design guidelines for the mitigation of wind-induced vibrations of stay cables were developed. As a precautionary note, the state of the art in stay cable vibration mitigation is not an exact science. These new guidelines are only intended for use by professionals with experience in cable-stayed bridge design, analysis, and wind engineering, and should only be applied with engineering judgment and due consideration of special conditions surrounding each project.

Gary L. Henderson,
Office of Infrastructure Research
and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

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Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No.
FHWA-RD-05-083

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle
Wind-Induced Vibration of Stay Cables

5. Report Date

August 2007

6. Performing Organization Code
 

7.Author(s)

Sena Kumarasena, Nicholas P. Jones, Peter Irwin, Peter Taylor

8. Performing Organization Report No.
 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Primary Consultant:
HNTB Corporation
75 State St., Boston, MA 02109
352 Seventh Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10001-5012

In association with:
John Hopkins University
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Baltimore, MD 21218-2686

Rowan Williams Davies and Irwin, Inc.
650 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph, Ontario N1K 1B8

Buckland and Taylor, Ltd.
Suite 101, 788 Harborside Drive, North Vancouver, BC V7P3R7

10. Work Unit No.

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-99-C-00095

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Office of Infrastructure R&D
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Final Report
September 1999 to December 2002

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) Harold Bosch, HRDI-07

16. Abstract

Cable-stayed bridges have become the form of choice over the past several decades for bridges in the medium- to long-span range. In some cases, serviceability problems involving large amplitude vibrations of stay cables under certain wind and rain conditions have been observed. This study was conducted to develop a set of consistent design guidelines for mitigation of excessive cable vibrations on cable-stayed bridges.

To accomplish this objective, the project team started with a thorough review of existing literature to determine the state of knowledge and identify any gaps that must be filled to enable the formation of a consistent set of design recommendations. This review indicated that while the rain/wind problem is known in sufficient detail, galloping of dry inclined cables was the most critical wind-induced vibration mechanism in need of further experimental research. A series of wind tunnel tests was performed to study this mechanism. Analytical and experimental research was performed to study mitigation methods, covering a range of linear and nonlinear dampers and crossties. The study also included brief studies on live load-induced vibrations and establishing driver/pedestrian comfort criteria.

Based on the above, design guidelines for mitigation of wind-induced vibrations of stay cables were developed.

17. Key Words

cable-stayed bridge, cables, vibrations, wind, rain, dampers, crossties

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical nformation Service, Springfield, VA 22161.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

281

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized

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