Long-term extreme buffeting response of long-span bridges considering uncertain turbulence parameters

Abstract

<p>Long-term extreme response analyses are recognized as the most accurate way to predict the extreme responses of marine structures excited by stochastic environmental loading. In wind engineering for long-span bridges this approach has not become the standard method to estimate the extreme responses. Instead, the design value is often estimated as the expected extreme response from a short-term storm described by an N-year return period mean wind velocity.</p><p>In this study, the long-term extreme buffeting response of a long-span bridge is investigated, and the uncertainty of the turbulent wind field is described by a probabilistic model. The results indicate that the current design practice may introduce significant uncertainty to the buffeting load effects used in design, when the variability in the turbulence parameters as well as the uncertainty of the short-term extreme response is neglected.</p>