Wind turbulence characteristics study at the Stonecutters Bridge site: Part I—Mean wind and turbulence intensities

Hong Kong is situated in the typhoon belt thus major civil engineering structures such as tall buildings and bridges are exposed to very severe gusty winds caused by a direct hit once every few years. Stonecutters Bridge in Hong Kong is a cable-stayed bridge having a colossal central span of 1018 m. The dynamic action of gusty wind on the bridge therefore needs careful consideration. A study into the turbulence characteristics at the bridge site has therefore been initiated with the objective of deriving a model of turbulence suitable for buffeting calculations of slender structures. To this end, Highways Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) erected a 50 m high meteorological mast at the bridge site and commissioned wind tunnel experiments employing a 1/1500 scale terrain model. Part I of this paper will focus on the study of mean wind and turbulence intensities. Part II will focus on the other turbulence characteristics including wind power spectra, integral length scales and wind coherences.