Papers

@article{alvarez_correlation_2025,

title = {Correlation and modal analysis techniques for the study of the VIV response of a twin-box deck based on 3D LES simulations},

author = {Antonio J. Álvarez-Naveira and Félix Nieto-Mouronte},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-024-01774-6},

doi = {10.1007/s11012-024-01774-6},

issn = {1572-9648},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-06-01},

urldate = {2026-04-20},

journal = {Meccanica},

volume = {60},

number = {6},

pages = {1851–1883},

abstract = {Twin-box decks are prone to vortex-induced vibration (VIV) at moderate wind speeds, and previous studies have shown a complex interplay between the flow and the two parallel box girders. OpenFOAM is used to model the aerodynamic and aeroelastic responses of the twin-box deck of the Stonecutters Bridge by means of 3D LES simulations. Two cases are thoroughly analysed under smooth incoming flow: (i) static deck and ii) heave peak amplitude response at VIV excitation. The computational data provided by the CFD simulations have been exploited aiming at better understanding the complex aerodynamic and aeroelastic phenomena taking place. First, spanwise correlation analyses are applied to understand the level of organisation of the forcing flow actions, and identify the regions of the deck affected by different flow structures. Second, three different mode decomposition techniques (POD, SPOD and DMD) are applied to the time-dependent pressure distributions, revealing the pivotal role played by the leeward box in the twin-box deck response under wind action. The modal analyses are of utmost interest in the development of Reduced Order Models (ROM) for the VIV response of twin-box long-span bridges.},

keywords = {3D LES, Correlations, DMD, POD, SPOD, VIV},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{alvarez_vortex_2025,

title = {Vortex induced vibration analysis of a twin-box bridge deck by means of 3D LES simulations},

author = {Antonio J. Álvarez-Naveira and Félix Nieto-Mouronte},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016761052500011X},

doi = {10.1016/j.jweia.2025.106015},

issn = {0167-6105},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-03-01},

urldate = {2025-03-01},

journal = {Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics},

volume = {258},

pages = {106015},

abstract = {Twin-box decks are prone to suffer vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). Although this phenomenon has been widely studied experimentally, there are still gaps in our understanding about the complex interplay between the incoming flow, the windward and leeward boxes, and the potential oscillation of the deck. This work exploits the ability of 3D LES simulations to simulate complex aeroelastic phenomena to delve into the linkage between aerodynamic forcing and heave oscillation through detailed analysis of comprehensive datasets. Several reduced velocities are studied in the VIV-prone range of the bare deck of the Stonecutters Bridge, analysing the spectra of the time-histories of force coefficients, for the overall deck and individual boxes, and heave oscillations. Similarly, the contribution of the local lift coefficient has been studied along with the work done by the deck and the individual boxes at different reduced velocities. It has been found that the leeward box is the one governing the overall VIV response of the deck. The spanwise-averaged time-averaged work distribution around the deck permits the identification of those regions contributing to the heave oscillation build-up, enabling the design of aerodynamic countermeasures for mitigation of VIV tailored for the specific deck geometry and dynamical properties of the deck.},

keywords = {3D LES, Contribution, Correlation, Force coefficients, Pressure coefficient distribution, Strouhal number, Twin-box, Vortex induced vibrations, Vortex shedding, Work},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{alvarez_computational_2021,

title = {A computational study on the aerodynamics of a twin-box bridge with a focus on the spanwise features},

author = {Antonio J. Álvarez-Naveira and Félix Nieto-Mouronte and K. C. S. Kwok and Santiago Hernández-Ibáñez},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167610520303755},

doi = {10.1016/j.jweia.2020.104465},

issn = {0167-6105},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-02-01},

urldate = {2026-08-07},

journal = {Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics},

volume = {209},

pages = {104465},

abstract = {The wind flow around twin-box decks is particularly complex due to the very important role played by the slot distance between girders and the presence of the downwind box that is immersed in the wake of the upwind box. Detailed experimental studies on the three-dimensional flow features of this deck typology are certainly challenging, and CFD simulations have not tackled this problem so far. The goal of this 3D LES piece of research is to shed some light on the complex flow features around twin-box decks, particularly when the deck geometry is fully three-dimensional due to the presence of the transversal beams linking together the deck girders. Integral parameters, mean and instantaneous flow structures and spanwise correlations are studied for a segment of the Stonecutters Bridge. It has been found that the presence of the transversal beam plays a key role in the flow correlation loss, identifying, for instance, the out-of-phase shedding of vortices at different sides of the transversal beam. The numerical results agree well with experimental data in the literature, and offer a richer and more comprehensive explanation for the identified aerodynamic responses.},

keywords = {3D LES, Correlations, Force coefficients, Pressure coefficient distribution, Strouhal number, Transversal beam, Twin-box, Vortex shedding},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{alvarez_3d_2019,

title = {3D LES simulations of a static and vertically free-to-oscillate 4:1 rectangular cylinder: Effects of the grid resolution},

author = {Antonio J. Álvarez-Naveira and Félix Nieto-Mouronte and D. T. Nguyen and J. S. Owen and Santiago Hernández-Ibáñez},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167610519305203},

doi = {10.1016/j.jweia.2019.06.012},

issn = {0167-6105},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-09-01},

urldate = {2026-08-06},

journal = {Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics},

volume = {192},

pages = {31–44},

abstract = {Vortex induced vibration (VIV) is an important phenomenon which appears in flexible structures immersed in a moving fluid. This oscillation is self-sustained and self-limited, but VIV might cause fatigue damage and affect the structure's serviceability. In the present study, the aerodynamics of the flow fields around a static and vertically free-to-oscillate 4:1 rectangular cylinder are analysed by means of 3D LES simulations, adopting the OneEqEddy viscosity model. Integral parameters, pressure distributions, amplitudes of oscillation, coherences and correlations are obtained and compared with the available experimental data. Aiming to ascertain the impact of the boundary conditions and the grid resolution on the accuracy of results, five cases adopting 3 different meshes including two different spanwise discretisations have been considered. When studying the aerodynamics of the cylinder in static conditions, the influence of the spatial discretisation is very limited, and the agreement with experimental data is fairly good. On the other hand, for the free-to-oscillate cylinder, the structural response is dramatically dependent on the spanwise discretisation. The maximum amplitude of the structural response decreases as the mesh resolution increases, providing a closer fit with the experimental data. Also, the spanwise correlation of pressures is studied, finding remarkable differences depending on the level of spatial discretisation.},

keywords = {3D LES, Coherence, Correlations, Force coefficients, Pressure coefficient distribution, Rectangular cylinder, Spatial discretisation, Strouhal number, Vortex induced vibrations, Vortex shedding},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}