Stochastic dynamic transient gusty wind effect on the sliding and overturning of quayside container cranes.

The wind-induced damages on quayside container cranes happen occasionally in recent years, which is mostly sliding and overturning caused by transient gusty wind (particularly the "short-rise-time gust"). Therefore, studies on the stochastic dynamic transient gusty wind effect on the sliding and overturning of quayside container cranes are required. Based on aerodynamic data obtained from wind tunnel tests, dynamic transient gusty wind-induced sliding force and overturning moment responses of quayside container cranes were analyzed in the present study. Through Monte Carlo simulation based on quasi-stationary assumption, the stochastic characteristics (including statistics and probabilistic distributions) of the peak dynamic wind-induced responses of transient gusty wind and corresponding stationary gust wind were analyzed. The influences of different transient gusty wind parameters (accelerations, wind velocity change ratios) on the dynamic impact effects were discussed. As a result, the critical "start-up" acceleration was formulated. The transient gusty wind amplification factors on the dynamic responses were quantified. And the peak dynamic transient gusty wind-induced responses with a certain non-exceedance probability can be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]