Wind tunnel experiment of long-span suspension bridge using 3D models

A series of wind tunnel experiments on a long-span suspension bridge was conducted. A proposed design for the Akashi Straits Bridge having a box stiffening girder was selected as the prototype for full aeroelastic models and taut strip models to scale 1: 350.In this paper, an outline of the experiment, the wind-induced response (flutter) under smooth flow, and its prediction computed from the results of sectional model tests using “strip theory” are presented. It is found that agreement between experiment and prediction is good.