TY - JOUR
T1 - Wind-induced vibration of a traffic-signal-support structure with cantilevered tapered circular mast arm
AU - Zuo, Delong
AU - Letchford, Chris W.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the Texas Department of Transportation for providing the structure and the financial support during the initial stage of this project. The first author is also grateful for the new faculty research fund provided by Texas Tech University .
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - Traffic-signal-support structures with cantilevered mast arms are known to exhibit large-amplitude vibrations under certain wind conditions. Previous investigations of the problematic vibrations have primarily focused on the aerodynamics of the signal heads of various configurations. Based on full-scale measurement of a traffic-signal-support structure, the role of the cantilevered mast arm in the aeroelastic vibrations is studied. Contrary to previous reports that the vibrations are due to galloping of the traffic signals, this study reveals that the aeroelastic interaction between the wind and the mast arm is critical in the excitation mechanism of the vibrations. Two types of excitation mechanisms, vortex-shedding at low wind speeds and buffeting at high wind speeds, were identified.
AB - Traffic-signal-support structures with cantilevered mast arms are known to exhibit large-amplitude vibrations under certain wind conditions. Previous investigations of the problematic vibrations have primarily focused on the aerodynamics of the signal heads of various configurations. Based on full-scale measurement of a traffic-signal-support structure, the role of the cantilevered mast arm in the aeroelastic vibrations is studied. Contrary to previous reports that the vibrations are due to galloping of the traffic signals, this study reveals that the aeroelastic interaction between the wind and the mast arm is critical in the excitation mechanism of the vibrations. Two types of excitation mechanisms, vortex-shedding at low wind speeds and buffeting at high wind speeds, were identified.
KW - Buffeting
KW - Galloping
KW - Tapered circular cylinder
KW - Traffic-signal-support structure
KW - Vortex-induced vibration
KW - Wind
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956341453&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2010.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2010.06.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956341453
VL - 32
SP - 3171
EP - 3179
JO - Engineering Structures
JF - Engineering Structures
SN - 0141-0296
IS - 10
ER -