The potential occurrence of internal parametric resonance phenomena has been recently
indicated as a possible contributory cause of failure for long-span suspension bridges. The
peculiar non-linear behaviour of such structures entails a fundamental coupling between
flexural and torsional response, with the possible occurrence of energy transfer between
resonant modes. This so-called internal resonance may happen if a critical energy threshold
is attained and may represent a critical issue for structural safety. At the same time …

The potential occurrence of internal parametric resonance phenomena has been recently
indicated as a possible cause of failure for long-span suspension bridges. At the same time,
suspension bridges, in view of their flexibility, are prone to aeroelasticity driven response,
such as vortex shedding, torsional divergence and flutter. In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic
model of a suspension bridge is devised, with the purpose of providing a unified framework
for the study of aeroelastic and internal resonance instabilities. Inspired by the pioneering …