Examining error-contaminated, long-span bridge buffeting vibration by Stochastic Differential Equations

Abstract

This paper summarizes the development of an analytically-based and numerically-implemented algorithm for the analysis of uncertainty propagation in aeroelastic systems. The term “uncertainty” is utilized to describe either simplifications in the modeling of the fluid–structure interaction mechanism or the effect of experimental errors, for example emerging during wind-tunnel tests. The algorithm is applied to study the dynamic response of long-span bridges. This study provides, by theoretical derivations, estimation of the stationary joint-probability distribution of the generalized bridge response, accounting for perturbations in the buffeting loads. The formulation includes physical states, fluid–structure interaction states and a random variable, which quantifies the errors in the span-wise correlation of the buffeting deck load. A 1200m span bridge is used for illustration of the numerical algorithm.