Multimode Bridge Response to Wind Excitations

Spectral analysis of random vibration is used to develop a new multimode linear theory for the computation of cross‐spectra of bridge response to turbulent wind excitations. New interpretations are given to previous works in the literature, and the results compared. The comparison enables a direct utilization of previously obtained experimental results, as well as clarification of the implication and limitation of previously proposed simplified procedures. Since the average wind velocity is used to formulate the self‐excited loads, with the effects of turbulence on these loads neglected in the analysis, the present theory may not be applicable at the proximity of flutter instabilities.