UAD - Glass Bridge in Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area —A “transparent corridor“ in the air

Located in the southeast of China, Guangdong is affected by frequent typhoons in summer. Besides, due to the large span and flexible structural system, this suspension bridge requires excellent wind resistance performance. Based on those considerations, the design team carried out wind tunnel testing and finite elements simulation, analyzed the main frequency and modes of vibration, and identified design parameters such as critical flutter velocity and the reasonable degree of enclosedness of guardrails, which provided strong support for optimizing the design and the maintenance of the bridge in the future. Meanwhile, in order to enhance lateral sustainability and wind resistance performance of the bridge, the designers adopted an oblique wind-resistant cable system, which is fixed to concrete anchors. Moreover, considering the adverse influences that karstification and special residual silty clay exerted on the site, they tried the best to ensure the safety performance of the bridge during design and con