FULL AEROELASTIC MODEL DESIGN AND MODAL TEST FOR SUTONG BRIDGE

The design, fabrication of full aeroelastic model and modal test for Sutong bridge (the world’s longest span cable-stayed bridge presently) are elaborated in this study. Firstly, the required similarity conditions of structural components such as girder, cable stays, and pylons of the full-bridge aeroelastic model, as well as parametric similarity relations, are introduced. Then, the design concept and manufacture technique are expounded. In the end, the modal testing approach and results of three typical states (service, the longest single-cantilever and the longest double-cantilever construction) of the full aeroelastic model are presented in detail. The modal testing results approve that the design and manufacture of Sutong bridge full aeroelastic model meet the test requirements well, and it can be adopted as a successful reference for model design of other long-span cable-stayed bridges.