Design, Wind Tunnel Tests, Normative and Theoretical Approaches of the ARC MAJEUR Subject to Vortex Shedding

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series Vol. 2647; no. 24; pp. 242002 - 242011
• Main Authors: Palm, A, Duchêne, Y, de Ville de Goyet, V, Denoël, V, Andrianne, T
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.06.2024; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Amplitudes; Civil engineering; Damping ratio; Engineering, computing & technology; Ingénierie civile; Ingénierie, informatique & technologie; Mathematical models; Parameter sensitivity; Statuary; Vibration isolators; Vortex shedding; Vortex-induced vibrations; Wind tunnel testing
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2647/24/242002

The monumental work of art by Bernar Venet, called ‘Arc Majeur’ wraps the Belgian motorway E411 at Lavaux-Ste-Anne, offering drivers an unmissable landmark in the landscape. This sculpture is a curved steel structure with a height of 60 meters and a 2.25 meters square section. Due to its slenderness, lightness and low vibration frequencies, the structure is very sensitive to wind excitations and mainly to vortex induced vibrations (VIV). After the presentation of the design and the main properties of the structure, the paper presents two approaches to estimate VIV amplitudes. The first one details the mathematical models of VIV included in the Eurocode and several theoretical approaches. The second approach compares the mathematical models to the results of experiments conducted in the wind tunnel facility of the University of Liège. The influence of several parameters is investigated. The experiments revealed lower VIV amplitudes than the theoretical approaches. As the Arc Majeur cannot withstand the fatigue induced by the VIV, it is mitigated by increasing the damping ratio by adding a tuned mass damper (TMD) at the top. Due to the vital importance of its operation, an online processing is developed to verify that the damper operates as intended.