Papers

@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{badhurshah_assessment_2024,

title = {Assessment of the Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Performance of Long-Span Twin-Box Bridges Based upon Multidimensional Surrogate Models},

author = {Rameez Badhurshah and Antonio J. Álvarez-Naveira and Félix Nieto-Mouronte and José Ángel Jurado-Albarracín-Martinón and Santiago Hernández-Ibáñez},

url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/13/5531},

doi = {10.3390/app14135531},

issn = {2076-3417},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

urldate = {2026-04-21},

journal = {Applied Sciences},

volume = {14},

number = {13},

pages = {5531},

publisher = {Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute},

abstract = {Twin-box decks are being extensively used in the design of long-span bridges due to their superior flutter performance. Although the significant role played by the gap distance has been previously addressed in the frame of experimental studies, there is still a lack of understanding about the complex interplay between box geometry, gap distance and the aerodynamic force coefficients and flutter derivatives. In the present work, firstly, a surrogate model is developed, considering three design inputs for the geometry of the deck along with the angle of attack, providing the force coefficients as output. Afterwards, the work is then extended by developing another surrogate model, considering as inputs the reduced velocity and the same geometric variables of the deck, with the outputs being the flutter derivatives. The methodology, comprising the selection of the design domain, the definition of the samples, the CFD-based evaluation of the samples' response and the construction of the surrogate through the application of the neural network-based radial basis method, is reviewed. The surrogate models enable a quantitative description of the impact caused in the force coefficients and the flutter derivatives by modifications in the geometry of the twin-box deck. It has been found that flutter derivatives H1*, H2* and A2* are strongly dependent on the gap distance.},

keywords = {CFD, flutter, Latin Hypercube Sampling, radial basis, surrogate modelling, textit{k-ω} SST, Twin-box, URANS},

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{cid_montoya_optimization_2021,

title = {Optimization of bridges with short gap streamlined twin-box decks considering structural, flutter and buffeting performance},

author = {Miguel Cid-Montoya and Félix Nieto-Mouronte and Santiago Hernández-Ibáñez and Arturo Norberto Fontán-Pérez and José Ángel Jurado-Albarracín-Martinón and Ahsan Kareem},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167610520302269},

doi = {10.1016/j.jweia.2020.104316},

issn = {0167-6105},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

urldate = {2021-01-01},

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

volume = {208},

pages = {104316},

abstract = {While it is well known that the gap between twin-box decks is a key design variable that impacts the onset flutter velocity of a bridge, further research is required to ascertain how modifications in several bridge design variables affect other aeroelastic responses. This paper utilizes aero-structural optimization techniques for the design of long-span bridges with short gap twin-box decks considering simultaneously structural, flutter and buffeting constraints. The optimization helps to reduce the material volume of the structure while maintaining all the performance and safety requirements below the imposed thresholds. It has been found that the geometry of the individual box cross-section is an important feature for the control of the buffeting response, particularly the vertical acceleration. On the other hand, flutter and torsional buffeting constraints require designs with larger gap distance and alternative box geometries, leading to a trade-off between conflicting design demands. Hence, depending on the expected wind load conditions and the specific requirements of a particular project, an optimum aero-structural bridge design with a particular deck shape can be identified. The framework presented in this study is an effective tool to achieve sustainable and safe bridge designs that seeks a most efficient balance between all the design constraints.},

keywords = {Aero-structural optimization, Buffeting, Cable-stayed bridges, Deck shape, flutter, Gap distance, Quasi-steady formulation, Surrogate models, Twin-box},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}