ERI: Enhancing Life-cycle Resilience of Cable-Stayed Bridges to Extreme Winds through Areo-Structural Optimization

该工程研究启动(ERI)奖将解决风敏感型斜拉桥生命周期设计中的关键挑战。考虑到跨度从300米到1000米的能力，中大跨度斜拉桥的使用势头正在增强。然而，美国沿海地区经历了飓风和其他极端风力事件，在施工、运营和长期条件下影响斜拉桥的性能和安全。利用数字革命以及计算机辅助模拟和数据驱动设计方法的不断改进，本研究将重塑目前桥梁行业使用的基于启发式经验的设计方法，这些设计策略仅依赖于风洞试验或现场性能评估。一种新的基于模拟的、多模型的气动结构设计优化方法将寻求在保持桥梁所需的生命周期性能和安全水平的同时减少材料，从而实现预期的碳足迹减少。这项研究将协同结合少数群体服务机构的教育和外展活动，包括课程开发、风洞测试培训演示和学生参观当地桥梁建设工地。该奖项对国家科学基金会(NSF)在国家减少风灾影响计划中的作用做出了贡献。该项目产生的数据将被存档，并在美国国家科学基金会支持的自然灾害工程研究基础设施(NHERI)设计安全数据仓库(https://www.DesignSafe-ci.org).)中公开提供这项研究将为斜拉桥在极端风荷载作用下考虑其生命周期的多个阶段的气动结构优化设计提供一种新的计算方法。总体目标是开发一种整体设计方法，允许进一步探索桥面形状修改对极端风下桥梁生命周期性能的影响，以实现可持续和具有成本效益的设计，同时改善桥梁的生命周期气动弹性性能。这项研究将综合桥梁空气动力学、线性和非线性气动弹性模型、计算流体动力学模拟、机器学习、基于有限元建模的多模型设计和优化算法的最新能力。研究目标包括：(1)开发桥梁全生命周期设计的线性和非线性抗风性能模型；(2)开发用于流固耦合参数形状依赖仿真的多保真气动弹性模型；(3)开发高效的基于多模型代理的气动结构设计优化策略。这项研究将解决斜拉桥在改变桥面截面和其他关键设计变量时的气动弹性生命周期性能，以及针对特定位置、当地气候和项目规范的斜拉桥生命周期气动结构优化设计。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) award will address key challenges in the life-cycle design of wind-sensitive cable-stayed bridges. Medium- and long-span cable-stayed bridges are gaining momentum in use, given their capability to span distances from 300 to 1000 meters. However, US coastal regions experience hurricanes and other extreme wind events that affect the performance and safety of cable-stayed bridges during construction, service, and long-term conditions. Taking advantage of the digital revolution and the continuous improvement of computer-aided simulations and data-driven design methods, this research will recast the design method for cable-stayed bridges currently used in the bridge industry based on heuristic experience-based design strategies that have relied only on wind tunnel testing or in-situ performance evaluation. A new simulation-based, multi-model, aero-structural design optimization methodology will seek material reduction while keeping the bridge’s required life-cycle performance and safety levels, thus achieving the desired reduction in carbon footprint. This research will synergistically combine education and outreach activities at a minority-serving institution, including curriculum development, training demonstrations in wind tunnel testing, and student tours to local bridge construction sites. This award contributes to the National Science Foundation (NSF) role in the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program. Data generated from this project will be archived and made publicly available in the NSF-supported Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) DesignSafe Date Depot (https://www.DesignSafe-ci.org). This research will develop a novel computational methodology for the aero-structural design optimization of cable-stayed bridges considering multiple phases of their life-cycle under extreme wind loading. The overarching goal is the development of a holistic design methodology that permits further exploring the effects of deck shape modifications on the life-cycle performance of the bridge under extreme winds to achieve a sustainable and cost-effective design while improving the life-cycle aeroelastic performance. The research will synthesize the state-of-the-art capabilities of bridge aerodynamics, linear and nonlinear aeroelasticity models, computational fluid dynamic simulations, machine learning, finite element modeling-based multi-model design, and optimization algorithms. The research objectives include (i) develop linear and nonlinear wind-resistant performance models for the life-cycle design of bridges, (ii) develop multi-fidelity aeroelastic surrogates for the shape-dependent emulation of fluid-structure interaction parameters, and (iii) formulate efficient multi-model surrogate-based aero-structural design optimization strategies. The research will address the aeroelastic life-cycle performance of a cable-stayed bridge when changing the bridge deck cross-section and other key design variables and the life-cycle aero-structural optimum design of a cable-stayed bridge for a particular location, local climate, and project specifications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.