The effects of turbulence on the pressure distribution around a rectangular prism

Pressure fields around a rectangular prism were studied using a new turbulence-generation technique. Employing jets blowing laterally to the main flow and stationary obstacles, the technique generates turbulent flows of varying scales. Results reported here constitute the first stage in a study of the effects of turbulence on the aeroelastic stability of long-span bridges. Past research in bridge stability has shown inconclusive results with respect to the scales of turbulence. Measurements were thus conducted in a host of flows holding the turbulence intensity constant while varying the integral scale. The integral scales of the incident flow had significant effects on the flow structure resulting in changes in the mean, rms, and negative peak pressure distributions. ( 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.