Aerodynamic response of bridge deck under extreme climatic conditions

The aerodynamic response of the bridge deck has received a lot of attention throughout the last few decades. Wind and surrounding climatic conditions play a vital role in shaping the aerodynamic response of infrastructures such as long-span bridges, wind turbines, skyscrapers, and other tall or slender structures. Long-span bridges are one of the most critical infrastructures influenced by wind due to their large surface areas and flexible structural systems. The harsh climatic conditions create a hostile and challenging environment for developing and maintaining long-span bridges, which are essential for efficient transportation, user safety, infrastructure reliability, convenience, and sustained economic growth in many regions. This study investigates the aerodynamic response of bridge decks under extreme climatic conditions through advanced numerical and experimental techniques. The High Reynolds k-ε turbulence model, along with Sutherland’s formula for temperature-dependent viscosity, was used in the analysis to capture complex fluid-structure interactions. This numerical method was employed to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the simulation results. A wide range of climatic parameters was considered from extreme geographical locations, including wind speed, dynamic viscosity, ambient temperature, turbulence intensity, air density, and angle of attack on the bridge deck surface. Wind tunnel simulations supported by a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model were conducted throughout the study. The investigation presents a detailed analysis of airflow patterns, pressure distribution, boundary layer effects, and vortex shedding mechanisms around the bridge deck under extreme environmental loading. Throughout the analysis, it was consistently observed that wind turbulence, gustiness, and fluctuating flow fields significantly affect the dynamic response of the deck, often triggering aeroelastic instabilities such as large-scale vortex formation, flutter, and galloping. The result offers a global perspective on how various environmental and aerodynamic factors impact bridge deck performance, longevity, and safety under increasingly volatile climatic conditions.