Dynamic response of cable-stayed bridge under wind-wave-current action considering pile-soil interaction

Abstract

Sea-crossing bridges are generally subjected to the combined wind, wave and current action, making it worthwhile investigating the dynamic response of cable-stayed bridges under wind-wave-current action. In this study, the numerical wave flume is utilised to obtain wave-current action, where a measured spectrum is applied to generate random waves. The stochastic wind field is calculated through the spectral representation model. These actions are validated by comparing experimental and theoretical results. A comparative analysis under different loads provides the theoretical basis for load type determination. The influence of pile–soil interaction is also studied with the consolidation, pile–soil solid contact (PSSC), and soil spring model. The results show that the root mean square (RMS) values of girder displacement are greater under regular wave-wind-current action, while the extreme values of the girder internal force present the opposite pattern due to the statistical characteristics of random waves. It indicates that the statistical characteristics of random waves should be considered to secure the girder safety. For the bridge tower, the random wave-wind-current action has a greater effect on the lateral displacement responses. Furthermore, the model considering the pile–soil interaction gets more flexible, absorbing more energy of low-frequency wave-wind-current action.