Vortex-Induced Nonlinear Bending Vibrations of Suspension Bridges with Static Wind Loads

Abstract

A low stiffness makes long-span suspension bridges sensitive to loads, and this sensitivity is particularly significant for wind-induced nonlinear vibrations. In the present paper, nonlinear vibrations of suspension bridges under the combined effects of static and vortex-induced loads are explored using the nonlinear partial differential–integral equation that models the plane bending motion of suspension bridges. First, we discretized the differential–integral equation through the Galerkin method to obtain the nonlinear ordinary differential equation that describes the vortex-induced vibrations of the bridges at the first-order symmetric bending mode. Then, the approximate analytical solution of the ordinary differential equation was obtained using the multiple scales method. Finally, the analytical solution was applied to reveal the relationships between the vibration amplitude and other parameters, such as the static wind load, the frequency of dynamic load, structural stiffness, and damping. The results show that the static wind load slightly impacts the bridge’s vibrations if its influence on the natural frequency of bridges is ignored. However, the bridge’s vibrations are sensitive to the load frequency, structural stiffness, and damping. The vibration amplitude, as a result, may dramatically increase if the three parameters decrease.