Experimental study on the wind-induced vibration of a dry inclined cable—Part I: Phenomena

Besides rain–wind-induced vibration, field observations and a few experimental studies in recent years show that inclined cables also manifest wind-induced instability under condition when there is no precipitation. In order to further investigate these types of motion, including the limited-amplitude high-speed vortex excitations identified recently, experimental investigations were carried out. The focus of the present paper is on describing the dynamic and static model wind tunnel tests conducted and discussing the differences between divergent galloping motion and high-speed vortex excitation. Results show that the characteristics of dynamic responses and aerodynamic forces of these two types of motion are different. The former could be explained by a mechanism similar to that of classical galloping, whereas the latter might be related to vortex formation along the cable. The issues that require further investigation are also discussed.