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Theoretical and experimental investigations to date have assumed that bridge stay cables can be modelled as ideal circular cylinders and that their aerodynamic coefficients are invariant with wind angle-of-attack. On the other hand it has been demonstrated that bridge cables are characterised by local alterations of their inherent surface roughness and shape. Small deviations from ideal circularity result in significant changes in the static drag and lift coefficients with Reynolds number. The present study focuses on the wind-induced response of a full-scale yawed bridge cable section model, for varying Reynolds numbers and wind angles-of-attack. Using passive-dynamic wind tunnel tests, it is shown that the in-plane aerodynamic damping of a bridge cable section, and the overall dynamic response, is strongly affected by changes in the wind angle-of-attack. Using the drag and lift coefficients, determined in static conditions for an identical cable model as the one used for passive-dynamic tests, the in-plane aerodynamic damping is evaluated by employing a one-degree-of-freedom (1 DOF) quasi-steady analytical model. Similarly, it is shown that regions of instability associated with the occurrence of negative aerodynamic damping are strongly dependent on the wind angle-of-attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Theoretical and experimental investigations to date have assumed that bridge cables can be modeled as ideal circular cylinders and the associated aerodynamic coefficients are invariant with the wind angle-of-attack. On the other hand, bridge cables are normally characterized by local alterations of their inherent surface roughness and shape, which might present a significant disturbance for the surrounding wind flow. The present study focuses on the experimental determination, based on static wind tunnel tests, of the aerodynamic coefficients of full-scale bridge cable section models both perpendicular and inclined to the flow, for varying wind angles-of-attack. The wind tunnel test results demonstrate that the aerodynamic coefficients of bridge cables can be significantly affected by the wind angle-of-attack. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Undesirable wind induced vibrations of bridge cables can occur when atmospheric conditions are such to generate ice accretion. This paper contains the results of an extensive investigation of the effects of ice accretion due to in-cloud icing, on the aerodynamic characteristics of bridge hangers and stay cables. The aim of this paper is twofold; first, it was investigated the ice accretion process and the final shape of the ice accreted; then the aerodynamics of the ice accreted bridge cables was characterized, and related to the ice shape. Different climatic conditions, i.e. combinations of temperature, wind speed and yaw angle of accretion, were reproduced in a climatic wind tunnel, giving rise to different types of accretion. These were chosen such to generate the most common natural ice formations expected to produce bridge cable vibrations. A description of the geometric characteristics of the ice accretions is given in the paper. Only for the bridge hanger case, a short description of the evolution of the ice accretions is given. The aerodynamic force coefficients were then measured with varying yaw angle, angle of attack and wind speed, and are presented and discussed in the paper; these are found to be significantly affected by the characteristics of the ice accretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]