To explore the influence of taper ratio on aerodynamic characteristics of tandem square cylinders, three-dimensional (3D) large eddy simulations of flow around two tandem square cylinders at the Reynolds number (Re) = 2 × 103 are carried out with a spacing ratio G/D = 4, where G is the cylinder center-to-center distance and D is the cylinder width. Different taper ratios of ξ = 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% are considered. The influence of taper ratio on aerodynamic coefficient, wind pressure coefficient, mean, and instantaneous flow fields are comprehensively studied. The mechanism of variation in flow fields is revealed, and the mathematical relationship between the taper ratio and aerodynamic characteristics is established, which can provide theoretical reference for design and construction of tandem structures. The results indicate that the taper ratio has significant influence on the mean force coefficient, fluctuating force coefficient, surface mean and fluctuating pressure coefficients, and vortex shedding frequency (fvs). As increase in the taper ratio, the mean force in the along-wind direction, fluctuating force in the across-wind direction, and surface pressure of the two cylinders will be decreased, but the vortex shedding frequency will be increased. The taper ratio has negligible influence on the flow separation location of the upstream cylinder. However, reattachment location of the shear layer moves backward along the leeward surface of the downstream cylinder, and width of the shear layer gradually becomes narrower and closer to surface of the two cylinders. The vortex shedding strength and vortex energy distribution of the two cylinders will be reduced as a result of the narrower shear layer. Meanwhile, coherence and periodicity of the vortex shedding will also be weakened, which results in reduction in the aerodynamic forces and increase in the vortex shedding frequency.

Wind loads play an important role in the design and construction of long-span bridges, especially for that built in mountain valley, and wind characteristics in mountain terrain are still unclear. To further understand the wind characteristics at a bridge site in a mountain valley, large eddy simulations were employed to comprehensively study the wind characteristics at the bridge site in an L-shaped canyon. Different wind directions consisting of 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, and 315° were considered, and the wind characteristics on the main girder and towers, as well as the flow field, were comprehensively investigated. The results indicate that the mean and fluctuating wind characteristics are significantly different from those specified in the relevant specifications, and it is inappropriate to apply the specifications directly to mountainous terrain. When wind flows along a channel, it leads to a large wind speed amplification factor, strong non-Gaussianity, and large kurtosis and skewness. The steeper the slope of the mountain, the stronger the non-Gaussianity of the fluctuating wind. The coherence function remains nearly unchanged when the distance between the two points is constant, regardless of the location. The wind characteristics at the main girder and towers are so different that they should be considered separately and taken into account in engineering practice. This study provides a reference for the wind-resistant design of bridges and structures built on mountainous terrains.

The unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes method is carried out to investigate the flow over two tandem 5:1 rectangular cylinders for a fixed spacing ratio of L/D = 6 with a Reynolds number of 4.4 × 104, where L is the distance between the leeward side of the upstream cylinder and the windward side of the downstream cylinder and D is the cylinder depth. The aerodynamic behaviors, including aerodynamic force coefficients, pressure distribution, vortex shedding frequency, and flow structure, are studied with angles of attack α = 0° to −15°. The numerical results indicate that the separated flow is highly sensitive to α and the flow structures are classified into three patterns: separated-reattached (α = 0°), fully separated (α = −2° to −8°), and separated-shrunk (α = −10° to −15°) flow. As α declines, the absolute value of the aerodynamic force coefficients of the upstream cylinder overall monotonically increases but that of the downstream cylinder changes non-monotonically. The Strouhal number decreases first and then keeps constant with the decrease in α. Both aerodynamic forces and vortex shedding frequency exist as a mutation at the transition of flow structure. As α wanes, the separation bubble around the top surface of the upstream cylinder gradually decreases, while that around the bottom surface grows first and then weakens, which does not reattach as α ≤ −2° and shrinks at α ≤ −10°. Meanwhile, the complex variations of separation bubbles around the downstream cylinder are analyzed. This study provides a reference for the wind-resistant design of parallel twin-deck bridges under high angle of attack.

The topography of mountainous areas is characterized by large undulations, which lead to a very complex wind field at bridge sites in mountain valleys. The influence of oncoming wind speed on long-span bridges built in mountain valleys is quite pronounced. To investigate the wind characteristics at a bridge site in a mountain valley under different oncoming wind speeds, a wind tunnel test of a terrain model with a scaling ratio of 1:1000, where a long-span bridge would be built in the V-shaped canyon, was conducted. Uniform and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) inflows were both applied, and the effect of different oncoming wind speeds (basic wind speeds of 6 m/s, 8 m/s, 10 m/s, 12 m/s, and 14 m/s) under three wind directions (0°, 30°, and 180°) on the wind characteristics at the main beam and two bridge towers were studied. The results indicate that increasing oncoming wind speed leads to decreased wind profiles and wind speed amplification factors and increased wind attack angles, while wind yaw angles remain largely unchanged. In addition, compared to ABL inflow, the variation of fluctuating wind characteristics is more pronounced with the oncoming wind speed under uniform inflow. Under uniform inflow conditions, increasing the oncoming wind speed causes decreased turbulence intensity, reduces the peak frequency of the power spectrum, and slows down the high-frequency decay rate. Under ABL inflow conditions, turbulence intensity and the power spectrum remain unchanged with different oncoming wind speeds. Additionally, the turbulent integral scale derived from fitting with the von Kármán wind spectrum is sufficiently accurate, and the variation in the turbulent integral scale is greatly influenced by the terrain. Furthermore, higher wind speeds result in stronger coherence between two points. When two points are at different locations but with the same spacing, the coherence function remains roughly the same. Locations with higher kurtosis and skewness values exhibit steeper probability density functions, with larger kurtosis and skewness coefficients typically found on the leeward side. High wind speeds are more detrimental to bridge safety, and appropriate preventive measures should be implemented in advance to address extreme conditions that may arise at high wind speeds.

Supertall buildings and long-span bridges are significantly affected by wind-induced vibrations, and the wind fields in mountainous areas are highly complex and influenced by the oncoming wind speed and turbulence intensity. To accurately determine the variation patterns of wind characteristics in mountainous areas under different oncoming wind speeds and turbulence intensities, large eddy simulation (LES) was employed to analyze wind fields over simplified hill and ridge models. By setting different basic wind speeds (5, 10, 15, and 20 m/s) and turbulence intensities (1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%) at the inlet, the variation patterns of wind characteristics over the simplified hill and ridge under atmospheric boundary layer inflow were studied, revealing wind field flow mechanisms. The results indicate that the wind characteristics on the leeward side of the simplified hill and ridge are significantly influenced by the oncoming wind speed and turbulence intensity. Increasing the oncoming wind speed and turbulence intensity leads to decreased wind profile deceleration, reduced changes in wind direction and attack angles, and increased wind speed amplification factor. In addition, the turbulence fluctuations, power spectra, and coherence function between two points on the leeward side increase with the oncoming wind speed and turbulence intensity. The turbulent integral scale decreases with an increase in the oncoming wind speed and turbulence intensity. As the wind speed and turbulence increase, the size of the recirculation bubble gradually decreases, with its center moving closer to the wall surface. In the vorticity field, the number of smaller-scale three-dimensional turbulent vortices near the hill and ridge increases. These differences in flow characteristics are the fundamental causes of the changes in wind characteristics. High wind speeds and turbulence intensities typically result in higher kurtosis and skewness, with significant non-Gaussian characteristics in the fluctuating wind. Traditional wind load design specifications for building architecture based on a Gaussian distribution may not be applicable to mountainous terrain. In practical engineering, the influences of the oncoming wind speed and turbulence intensity on wind characteristics should be fully considered.