Ensayos de viento para el Puente de la Constitución de 1812 sobre la Bahía de Cádiz

Wind studies for the Constitución de 1812 Bridge over Cadiz Bay

The 1812 Constitution Bridge over the Cádiz Bay has been subjected to several wind studies and tests using the most advanced methodology and techniques that the current state of the art allows. Full aeroelasticity tests in a boundary layer tunnel have been carried out, taking into account the whole configuration of the bridge during the in-service state, and also considering the most critical stage during the construction. No risk of aerodynamic instability has been found for the design wind speed. Furthermore, static section model tests for determination of static load coefficients for drag, lift and moment, and dynamic section model tests for simulation of the vertical and torsional vibrations of the bridge induced by vortex shedding and buffeting were also carried out. An exhaustive tests program was also developed to investigate the wind action on reference vehicles, evaluating the good performance of the windshield.