Reliability analysis of safety for flutter and buffeting of long-span bridges

摘要

Many probabilistic parameters are involved in aeroelastic phenomena of long-spanbridges. In Japanese wind-resistant-design codes, only wind speed is dealt with probabilisticallyand allowable-stress design is used. This cannot allow one to evaluate quantitatively the real safetyof a bridge designed and discuss the rationality of the design code. In this paper, taking up theAkashi-Kaikyo Bridge as an example, safety (probability of failure) for flutter and buffeting oflong-span bridges designed by the current code was analyzed by reliability-analysis methods.Probabilities of failure slightly below 10~(-3) for flutter and at the order of 10~(-3) for buffeting wereobtained. However, much smaller probability of failure is expected due to conservativeassumptions in the design code. Finally, executing parameter analyses, rationality of the windresistant-design codes in Japan is also discussed.