The Aeroelastic Study of the Messina Straits Bridge

The Tacoma Bridge disaster, in the 40s, has opened a new interesting chapter in the study of suspension bridges. This is still open today, as the need of making connections easier leads to bridge spans which are longer and longer. Table I gives a list of the suspension bridges with the longest main span, while Figure 1 shows the trend in the main span length for different kind of bridges: a sharp growth is clear in the last years. The complex development of the Messina Strait Bridge project is part of this scenario, in which longer and longer bridges are being built. The project has been brought to an end by 1992 (Ponte sullo Stretto di Messina, 1992): it is a road and railway crossing, with a main span of 3300 m. This paper resumes the huge research carried out about the wind actions on the bridge, which is for sure one among the most critical aspects of the project. Into details, the main purpose has been a careful design and improvement in the shape of both the deck and the towers. An outline of the research carried out on this topic is going to be presented, together with the main results (see also Diana et al., 1999b;Diana et al., 1998;Cigada, 1994;Brancaleoni, 1993;Simiu and Scanlan, 1986).