CABLES & SUSPENSION

BRIDGES

Cables & Suspension Bridges 1

 CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Main elements
 Equation of horizontal reaction
 Cable tension at ends
 Shape of the loaded cord
 Length of the cable
 Anchor cables
 Suspension brigde with three-hinged stiffening girder

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 INTRODUCTION
 Suspension Bridge
 Cable-Stayed Bridge

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 MAIN ELEMENTS
 Main cable
 Suspenders
 Decking and stiffening girder
 Supporting tower
 Anchor cable

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 EQUATION OF HORIZONTAL REACTION
Taking moments about C, on the right/left side of C

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 CABLE TENSION AT ENDS
The cable tension T at any end is the resultant of vertical and horizontal reaction at
the end.

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 CABLE TENSION AT ENDS
T= Tension at any point p of the cable
Ɵ=Inclination of the tangent at p with horizontal consider equilibrium of part PB
 Resolving the forces on this part horizontally.

 H  T cos
 Minimum tension in cable will occur at c

 T min  Tc  H
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 CABLE TENSION AT ENDS
 Maximum tension in cable will occur at ends

wL L2
T m ax  1 2
2 16d
 The inclination β of T with vertical is given by,
H wL2 wL L
tan    / 
V 8d 2 4d

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 SHAPE OF THE LOADED CORD
 Under the uniformly distributed load the cable takes the from of a parabola
 The equation of cable , with either support as origin will be,

4d
y  2 x( L  x)
L

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 LENGTH OF THE CABLE
The equation for total length of the cable is given by,

2
8 h
Ll .
3 l

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 ANCHOR CABLES
The main cables attach to the ends of the deck, rather than to the ground via large
anchorages. The design is well-suited for construction a top elevated piers, or in
areas of unstable soils where anchorages would be difficult to construct.
There are generally two arrangement used:
1. The suspension cable can be passed over the guide pulley for anchoring it to
the other side
2. The suspension cable and anchor cable can be attached to a saddle mounted on
rollers.

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 ANCHOR CABLES

Cable passed over guide pulley at Cable clamped to saddle carried on

the support smooth rollers on top of pier

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 CABLE PASSED OVER GUIDE PULLEY
In case of guide pulley arrangement, the suspension cable passes over the guide pulley,
 1 =Inclination of the suspension cable with vertical
 2 =Inclination of the anchor cable with vertical
Vertical pressure on top of pier,

Vp  T cos  1  cos  2 
Horizontal pressure on top of pier,

Hp  T sin  1  sin  2 
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CABLE CLAMPED TO SADDLE CARRIED
ON SMOOTH ROLLERS
In case of saddle on roller arrangement, rollers do not have any horizontal reaction.
Therefore, the horizontal components of the tensions in the suspension cable and the
anchor cable will be equal.

T 1 sin  1  T 2 sin  2  H
The vertical pressure on the top of the pier is,

Vp  T 1 cos  1  T 2 cos  2

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SUSPENSION BRIGDE WITH THREE-
HINGED STIFFENING GIRDER

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