Flutter characteristics of twin-box girder bridges with vertical central stabilizers

Abstract

Abstract It has been well known that Vertical Central Stabilizers (VCS) have the potential of improving flutter performance of long-span bridges. However, the fundamental flutter mechanisms of VCS are still not fully understood so far. In this study, a series of wind-tunnel tests involving the combination of six representative heights and four types of VCS were conducted to fundamentally investigate the influence of VCS on flutter performance of twin-box girders with various Slot Width Ratios (SWRs). Experimental results show that the flutter instability of 20% SWR is significantly sensitive to the height change of VCS, whereas the VCS have little effect on the flutter performance for 80% an..