Wind-Induced Vibration and Control of Trans-Tokyo Bay Crossing Bridge

Abstract

The Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway Crossing, completed in 1997, is 11 km in total length and is a combined tunnel and multiple bridge route that includes a ten-span continuous steel box-girder bridge with a total length of 1,630 m. The two longest spans of this bridge measure 240 m, and the highway consists of four lanes with an overall width of 22.9 m. In this bridge, significant vibration due to vortex shedding was observed under prevailing winds almost transverse to the bridge axis. This vortex-induced first-mode vibration peaked at a wind velocity around 16–17 m/s, with a maximum amplitude exceeding 50 cm. This paper describes the vortex-induced vibration that occurred in these particular spans, together with the extensive number of wind tunnel tests that were conducted before and after the bridge construction. It is shown that the results from the field and from the wind tunnel tests are fairly consistent regarding the amplitudes and wind speed range of the vortex-induced vibration in the first vertical vibrational mode of the bridge. The TMDs developed specifically to control first and second vertical flexural modes of this bridge and aerodynamic vibration controls employed for higher modes are also explained.