Importance of Deck Details in Bridge Aerodynamics

This paper focuses on the effects of the deck equipment – such as median dividers, edge safety barriers or parapets – on the aerodynamic response of long-span suspension and cable-stayed bridges. The importance of modelling such members in the analysis of bridge aerodynamics is demonstrated using numerical simulations both with and without barriers. The numerical technique is applied to two famous long-span bridge decks (the Normandy cable-stayed bridge and the Great Belt suspension bridge), presented by different cross section geometries and various aerodynamic characteristics. The obtained results are compared with each other and with wind-tunnel data. In particular, the numerical modelling of the barriers provides a closer insight into the mechanisms responsible for the vortex-induced oscillations of the Great Belt East bridge in 1998.