The new wind screening was installed on the Great Belt Bridge between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen in March 2023. The shielding was designed by Dissing+Weitling, the firm that was also behind the original design of the Great Belt Bridge.
According to Dissing+Weitling bridge architect Poul Ove Jensen, Sund & Bælt wanted the screens to be in harmony with the structure’s architecture. The screening comprises vertical aluminium vertical slats set at different heights and attached to the guardrail.
The wind tests took place in spring 2021 at Force Technology, with Cowi acting as engineering advisor.
The video shows air flow hitting a bridge pylon with wind shielding installed only on one side. Artificial smoke and green laser light are used to better observe the experiment’s results. Fast flowing wind with large eddies can be seen on the side of the pylon with no protection while the side with wind shielding is experiencing significantly smoother air flow.
Three types of slats in plastic and aluminum were tested, with all three proving stable when exposed to wind. The chosen solution in aluminium was selected on the basis of least maintenance and the longest durability.
