Congratulations to Dr. Cid Montoya, who was part of the winning team for the Best Scientific Paper Award presented by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) at the IABSE Awards and Gala Dinner held on November 12, 2024, at the Volkshaus Zurich, Switzerland. The paper, titled “IABSE Task Group 3.1 Benchmark Results—Numerical Full Bridge Stability and Buffeting Simulations,” was recognized for contributions toward determining how to accurately predict how bridges behave in strong, turbulent winds.
The award-winning research tackles a critical challenge in the design of long-span bridges. While engineers have many ways to model and simulate these wind effects, there hasn’t been a standard set of test cases to compare those predictions—until now.
The team set out to create a benchmark, or common reference, using simulated data from a variety of international research teams, each using their own tools to predict how a long-span bridge would respond to wind. These predictions focused on two key concerns: aerodynamic stability (when a bridge might begin to flutter uncontrollably in wind) and buffeting response (how much the bridge shakes or moves due to gusts). By analyzing these results, the team produced a valuable dataset that engineers around the world can now use to check the accuracy of their models and improve bridge safety.
This collaborative effort sets a new standard for testing wind-related bridge behavior and provides a trusted reference for future bridge design across the globe. Well done, Dr. Montoya!
To read more, the paper can be downloaded for free here.
The original press release can be found here.
