Design of Experimental Apparatus for Real-Time Wind-Tunnel Hybrid Simulation of Bridge Decks and Buildings

摘要

Due to the challenges in numerical simulation of wind-structure interaction, the dynamic response of long-span bridges or high-rise buildings subjected to wind loads has been primarily evaluated through wind tunnel tests. The wind-tunnel tests, especially aeroelastic tests, require calibration of springs, masses, and the damping properties of an experimental specimen which takes considerable time and efforts. In hybrid simulation, where a numerical model and a physical specimen are tightly integrated, a component that is difficult to be represented with a numerical model is represented experimentally, while the rest of the structural system is represented numerically. In this paper, designs of two configurations of experimental apparatus for real-time wind-tunnel hybrid simulation are presented: one for section model tests of bridge decks and another one for high-rise buildings. The experimental apparatus for section model tests, which consists of four linear motors, is for aeroelastic tests of section model of a long-span bridge. The experimental apparatus for buildings consists of two linear motors to test aeroelastic response of scaled high-rise building model. The rational on the selection of the design configurations is discussed which is followed by configuration of the experimental setup and a potential strategy for running real-time hybrid simulation.