The government has budgeted NT$11.5 million (US$362,228) to improve wind noise on the Danjiang Bridge (淡江大橋), which connects New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里) districts, ahead of its official opening next month, the Highway Bureau said yesterday.
The bureau said it had received multiple complaints from residents near the bridge, so experts from Tamkang University’s Wind Engineering Research Center conducted an inspection on Jan. 27 and found that the wind noises were caused by steel plates on the guard rails next to the bridge’s pedestrian pavement.
The airflow resonates with the railing under specific wind speeds and directions, resulting in the noises, the bureau said.
Photo: CNA
During a three-day wind tunnel test last month, the center found that noises were created whenever the wind speed exceeded 5.6 meters per second, and the angle between the wind direction and the steel plates was about 22°, the bureau said.
The researchers also found that the sound of wind-induced vibrations was reduced by more than 30 decibels if the steel plates on guard rails were covered with anti-collision rubber strips, the bureau said, adding that a 1 decibel decrease shows a 10-fold decrease in wind vibration energy.
Wind noises were nearly inaudible after anti-collision rubber strips were installed, it said.
Photo: CNA
Data collected from construction sites from November last year to last month showed that wind speeds ranged from about 2 to 10 meters per second, with an average wind speed of about 5.2 meters per second.
As a short-term solution, the bureau began installing rubber strips on the guardrails facing upstream on the Tamsui River (淡水河), as the nation is under the influence of the northeast monsoon.
That solution is scheduled to be completed this month.
Eventually, the rubber strips would be covered by aluminum clamping clips, the bureau said, adding that the full project is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 31.
Zaha Hadid Architects and Taiwan Design Research Institute experts determined that the rubber strips and aluminum clamping clips, which come in silver and gray, do not clash with the color of the guard rails, the bureau said.
Rubber strips could last one to two years in humid environments with constant exposure to sunlight, it added.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) during an inspection yesterday said it is worth spending NT$11.5 million to address the problem.
Residents near the bridge should enjoy the convenience brought by the beautifully designed bridge, rather than being troubled by wind noises, he said.
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