Assessing Bridge Performance to Extreme Winds with Consideration of Non-Gaussian Features and System Uncertainties

本课题的研究目标是发展大跨度桥梁在毁损风作用下的性能评估和基于可靠度的风险一致性设计的先进方法。该研究将定义改进的风力模型，既降低了现有线性模型的复杂性，又能充分描述非线性非定常力特性。将考虑与复杂的城市和山区地形相关的随机非高斯风荷载的建模和模拟，以研究它们对桥梁结构的影响。为了验证和完善建议的分析框架，将利用风洞测试数据和全面监测桥梁对强风的反应。实地数据将由国际合作者提供。项目成果包括新的风荷载效应模型、参数不确定性建模方法、桥梁响应不确定性评估方法、风激桥梁设计分析工具、研究成果的记录和传播，以及工程专业学生的教育和培训。该项目将对抗风柔性桥梁结构的设计产生广泛的影响。研究结果将有助于缩小预测和实际桥梁反应之间的差距，并提高我们设计安全经济的桥梁抵御破坏性风的能力。该项目对综合风荷载准则，制定国家柔性桥梁结构抗风设计指南具有重要意义。它将涉及代表性不足的学生群体，丰富研究生和本科生的风工程教育，并进一步加强德克萨斯理工大学新建立的多学科风科学和工程博士项目。

The research objective of this project is to develop advanced methods for performance assessment and reliability-based risk consistent designs of long span bridges subjected to damaging winds. The research will define improved wind force models, which reduce the complexity of current linear force model but adequately describe the nonlinear unsteady force characteristics. The modeling and simulations of stochastic non-Gaussian wind loads that associated with complex urban and mountainous terrains will be considered to examine their effects on bridge structures. To validate and refine the proposed analysis frameworks, wind tunnel testing data and full-scale monitoring of bridge responses to strong winds will be utilized. The field data will be provided by international collaborators. The project deliverables include a new wind load effects model, approach for modeling of parameter uncertainties, a methodology for assessing uncertainty of bridge response, analysis tools for the design of wind-excited bridges, documentation and dissemination of research results, and engineering student education and training. This project will have broad impacts on the design of flexible bridge structures against damaging winds. The research findings will contribute to narrowing the gap between predictions and actual bridge response, and enhance our ability to design safe and economical bridges against damaging winds. The project will greatly help in synthesizing wind load criteria to develop national wind resistant design guidelines for the design of flexible bridge structures. It will involve under represented groups of students, enrich the wind engineering education at both graduate and undergraduate levels, and further strengthen the newly established multidisciplinary wind science and engineering Ph. D program at Texas Tech University.