Data-Intelligence Design and Operation of Wind Resistance of Long-Span Bridges

Professor 

Department of Civil Engineering 

Tongji University 

A comprehensive data-intelligent framework for wind resistent design and operation of long-span bridges has been introduced with time-varying wind speed prediction, intelligent wind-resistant design, and intelligent operation-maintenance of long-span bridges, addressing challenges from climate change and structural degradation. Several hybrid data-intelligent models, VMD, WT, FWA and GRU, are developed and compared for short-term wind speed forecasting, and a deep learning-based method is proposed to simulate typhoon-induced extreme wind speeds, enabling accurate prediction of climate change sensitive extreme wind scenarios.

An EBP-based machine learning method is introduced for data-driven identification of three-component aerodynamic coefficients for static wind stability analysis, while a GBDT-based approach is developed for intelligent identification of flutter derivatives, key parameters in flutter instability analysis. A risk evaluation framework for flutter and vortex-induced vibration is established, integrating climate warming-induced wind environment changes with real-time structural health monitoring data. Machine learning models quantify the degradation of critical wind-resistant indices under warming scenarios, enabling proactive maintenance strategies. This study bridges data intelligence and wind engineering, providing a systematic toolkit for enhancing the safety, durability, and adaptability of long-span bridges in the context of climate change. Future work will focus on real-time digital twin integration and edge computing-based early warning systems.

Yaojun Ge received his BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in civil engineering all from Tongji University in China. He has been working in Tongji University majoring in bridge structure analysis, wind engineering and bridge aerodynamics for more than 40 years. He has contributed to many R&D key projects, including one grand and two key projects of Natural Science Foundation of China, one “973 Plan” project and one “863 Plan” project, and more than 40 major bridge consultant projects, including Shanghai Lupu Bridge as the world’s longest arch bridge, East See Bridge as the world’s longest see crossing projects, and Xihoumen Bridge as the longest box-girder suspension bridge in the world.

He has published 9 books and more than 250 technical papers, and has made over 30 keynote presentations in international conferences. He has received all three kinds of Chinese National Awards of Natural Science, Technological Invention and Science and Technology Progress, as well as T.Y. Lin Medal 2016, ICARO Award 2018, Davenport Medal 2022 and Honorary Member of IABSE 2023. He served as President of International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), Executive Board Member and Asia-Oceania Coordinator of International Association for Wind Engineering (IAWE). He was also President of Bridge and Structural Engineering Institution and Chairman of Wind Engineering Group of China.