Passive-dynamic wind tunnel tests of the Ø resund Bridge cables

Large amplitude vibrations have been reported from the Ø resund Bridge especially concomitant with rain events. A novel study of the aerodynamic damping of the cables has been carried out through wind tunnel tests. A configuration has been selected based on the critical angles related to large amplitude vibration observations from monitoring. A series of tests in dry and simulated rain conditions have been performed in the Climatic Wind Tunnel at Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. The results are compared with damping values determined from the application of analytical models using force coefficients from static wind tunnel tests. An additional comparison is performed with results available from full-scale monitoring. The results are in accordance in the subcritical Reynolds number region, while the correlation in the critical region is less precise. The gained experiences are presented for the use in future testing activities with the purpose of improving passive-dynamic tests