Wind-induced vibration control of bridges using liquid column damper

The potential application of tuned liquid column damper (TLCD) for suppressing wind-induced vibration of long span bridges is explored in this paper. By installing the TLCD in the bridge deck, a mathematical model for the bridge-TLCD system is established. The governing equations of the system are developed by considering all three displacement components of the deck in vertical, lateral, and torsional vibrations, in which the interactions between the bridge deck, the TLCD, the aeroelastic forces, and the aerodynamic forces are fully reflected. Both buffeting and flutter analyses are carried out. The buffeting analysis is performed through random vibration approach, and a critical flutter condition is identified from flutter analysis. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the control effectiveness of the damper and it is shown that the TLCD can be an effective device for suppressing wind-induced vibration of long span bridges, either for reducing the buffeting response or increasing the critical flutter wind velocity of the bridge.