BASIC MODEL OF FLEXIBLE CABLES AND

CABLES WITH AN EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTED

LOAD

APPM 221

North-West University
Gabriel.Magalakwe@nwu.ac.za

Week 1,
25-29 July 2022
Lesson Outcomes

The purpose of this lesson is to derive relationships between the

forces on cables and formulate a basic model of a cable carrying a

load.

By form we mean the length, sag at each point and the span of

the cables.
▶ At the end of today’s lesson you should be able to
▶ Know how to formulate a basic model.
▶ Understand the difference between tension, span, sag, and
length of the cables.
▶ Know how to solve basic model of a cable.
Introduction: Flexible cable

Flexible cables are used in numerous engineering applications.

Common examples or important types of structural member

(flexible cable) are power transmission lines, suspension bridges,

lines or transmission telephone lines to name a few.

The term flexible means that the cables are incapable of

developing internal forces other than tension.

To design these structures, we must know the relations involving

the tension, span, sag, and length of the cables.

Introduction: Flexible cable
Flexible cables are often used to transfer loads from one part of a

structure to another. The whole idea of/to the use of cables is

that weights are supported by using tensions along the cable.

Think of a person standing on a wooden bridge (woods mounted

to cables on both side) such that his/her weight impact stretches

the cables, hence the cables develop tension. Thus, the tension

that develops will support and prevent a person from falling down.

No forces making an angle with the cable can occur.

In the arch supporting a bridge, we have the same kind

requirement: the forces must be compressive forces on to the

structure, never at an angle.

Introduction: Flexible cable

Often the cable itself is the main element carrying the loads, as for
cable cars and suspension bridges.
For a suspension bridge the weight of the cable is usually negligible
compared to the weight of the bridge.
For a cable car’s cable or an anchor cable the cable’s weight is the
main force on the cable.
In some instances the weight of the cable is negligible compared
with the load it supports. In other cases the weight of the cable
may be an appreciable load or the sole load and cannot be
neglected. Regardless of which of these conditions is present, the
equilibrium requirements of the cable may be formulated in the
same manner.
Basic model

Figure: 1

Let the cable be subject to a vertical, downward load w (x) per

unit of length along the x-axis, then the resultant is given by
R = w (x) δx. Here w (x) represents elemental strip of the vertical
length and δx is width on the cable.
A free body diagram of an element of the cable with a horizontal
length δx, is given in the Figure 2 below:

Figure: 2

The forces at the endpoints and the angles they form with the
horizontal, are functions of x, as shown. The resultant force on the
element due to the external load is approximately w (x)δx, and the
approximation gets better as δx gets smaller. Weight w(x) over
length δx acts at a point between x and x + δx, say a point which
is a distance ϵδx, from the left, with ϵ a small number between 0
It follows from the foregoing expressions that R passes through the
centroid of the shaded area. The cable is in equilibrium, thus
equilibrium equations, yield
X
Fx = 0 ⇒ Tx (x + δx) − Tx (x) = 0,
T (x + δx) cos θ(x + δx) − T (x) cos θ(x) = 0. (1)
X
Fy = 0 ⇒ Ty (x + δx) − Ty (x) − R = 0,
T (x + δx) sin θ(x + δx) − T (x) sin θ(x) − w (x)δx = 0. (2)

Only T (x) and R have moments about A. dx , dy and d are

respective moment arms. Moment equations is not important for
now. we will use the first two.
X
MA = 0 ⇒ dx Ty (x) − dy Tx (x) + dR = 0,
 
− y (x + δx) − y (x) T (x) cos θ(x) + δx T (x) sin θ(x) +
ϵδx w (x)δx = 0. (3)

Take note that resultant R acts distance ϵδx

Forces along the x
Dividing equation (1) by the horizontal length δx, yields

T (x + δx) cos θ(x + δx) − T (x) cos θ(x)

= 0. (4)
δx
The above equation when δx → 0, yields
 
d
T (x) cos θ(x) = 0. (5)
dx

Note that, having f (x) = T (x) cos θ(x), first principle

f (x + δx) − f (x)
f ′ (x) = ⇒
 δx 
d T (x + δx) cos θ(x + δx) − T (x) cos θ(x)
T (x) cos θ(x) = .
dx δx

Thus, equations (4) and (5) are equal. Please note that.
Forces along the y

Similarly, dividing equation (2) by the horizontal length δx, yields

T (x + δx) sin θ(x + δx) − T (x) sin θ(x)

= w (x). (6)
δx
The above equation similarly, gives
 
d
T (x) sin θ(x) = w (x). (7)
dx

Thus, equations (6) and (7) are equal. Please also note this.
Equation (4) on integration, yields T (x) cos θ(x) = Fh , where Fh is
a constant of integration. Fh is horizontal component of the
tension force: tension force along the x-axis. Hence tension is
Fh
T (x) = .
cos θ
Substituting the above value of T into equation (7), yields
 
d Fh
(sin θ) = w (x).
dx cos θ
The above equation yields
 
d w (x)
tan θ = ,
dx Fh

Since gradient is given by dy

dx = tan θ, the equation above gives

d 2y
 
d dy w (x) w (x)
= ⇒ 2
= .
dx dx Fh dx Fh
Cables with an external distributed load

The following equation which was derived in-detail (in the previous
slides) is the basic model of a flexible cable:

d 2y w (x)
= (8)
dx 2 Fh

The solution to this equation is that functional relation y = f (x)

which satisfies this equation and also satisfies the conditions at the
fixed ends of the cable, called boundary conditions.
This relationship defines the shape of the cable, and we will use it
to solve two important and limiting cases of cable loading,
parabolic cables and catenary cables.
Parabolic cable
Parabolic cable is a special case of the basic model given by eqtn
(8) when the loading is distributed uniformly along the horizontal,
say w (x) = W , W here is a constant. See the figure below

Figure: 3

The vertical distance between the highest and lowest point

denoted h is called the sag. The horizontal distance from the
lowest point to the point below the highest point is denote by ℓ.
Parabolic cable
When w (x) is constant, equation (8), yields
d 2y W
2
= , note that W is constant. (9)
dx Fh
The boundary condition according Figure 3 are as follows:
y (0) = 0, y (ℓ) = h and y ′ (0) = 0.
Integrating (9) twice w.r.t x, yields
W 2
y= x + C1 x + C2 , C1 andC2 are constants.
2Fh
From y ′ (0) = 0, one gets 0 = W
Fh (0) + C1 , thus C1 = 0. As a result
W 2
y= x + C2 ,
2Fh
W
From y (0) = 0, we get 0 = 2Fh (0) + C2 , ⇒ C2 = 0. We then get
W 2
y= x . (10)
2Fh
Parabolic cable
W ℓ2
Finally y (ℓ) = h gives h = 2Fh , the above equation, yields
the horizontal component of the tension Fh as
W ℓ2
Fh = . (11)
2h
Finally the solution to the differential equation is given by
hx 2
y= , (12)
ℓ2
which is parabolic. Note that the length ℓ is a
horizontal distance from the lowest point on the cable to the end
of the cable on the right, see Figure 3.
Since the parabolic equation is a function of a sag h and length ℓ.
We therefore can handle cases where the end points are on
different heights with the same formula, e.g, one side at (ℓ1 , h1 )
and the other at (ℓ2 , h2 ).
Parabolic cable: Forces in the cable
To obtain the forces in the cable, consider a part of the cable
between x = 0 and x = x, as in the figure

r 2 = x 2 + y 2 ⇒ T 2 = Fh2 + (Wx)2 .
Making tension T subject of the formula, we get
q
T = Fh2 + W 2 x 2 .
Parabolic cable: Forces in the cable
Using the fact that the horizontal component of the tension Fh
given by
W ℓ2
Fh = .
2h
Thus, the tension becomes
s
W ℓ2 2

T = + W 2x 2,
2h
s  2 2
ℓ
= W x2 + . (13)
2h
The tension force T is a maximum where x 2 is a maximum, which
occurs when x = −ℓ or x = ℓ, thus
s  2 2
2
ℓ
T = W ℓ + ,
2h
s  2 r
ℓ ℓ2
= Wℓ 1 + = Wℓ 1 + 2.
2h 4h
Parabolic cable: length of cable
Now we compute the length of the cable from the lowest point to
point with height h. If the length of the cable from x = 0 to x = x
is written

2  2  2
r 2 = x 2 + y 2 ⇒ s(x + δx) − s(x) = δx + y (x + δx) − y (x) .


Dividing the above equation by (δx)2 yields

s(x + δx) − s(x) 2 y (x + δx) − y (x) 2
   
=1+
δx δx
Parabolic cable: length of cable
Then limit when δx → 0, gives
 2  2
ds dy
=1+ .
dx dx

The total length of half the cable is

s  2
Z Z x
dy
S(x) = ds = 1+ dx (14)
0 dx

Equation (10), yields

dy Wx
= .
dx Fh
Sub result into (14), gives
s 2
Z x 
Wx
S(x) = 1+ dx. (15)
0 Fh
Length of the cable as a function of length, weight and
tension

Integrating eqtn equation (15), yields (use table of integrals)

s  s
Wx 2 1 Fh Wx 2
       
x Wx
S(x) = 1+ + ln + 1+ .
2 Fh 2 W Fh Fh

The above equation gives the length of the cable from x = 0 to

a point x = x, when horizontal component of the tension Fh and
the weight W are known.
When x = ℓ, the equation gives maximum length of the cable.
Important things to know before exercises
Basic model w(x) is load/weight per
d 2y w (x) length along the horizon-
=
dx 2 Fh tal distance x,
Fh Tension force along
the x
W 2
Parabolic y= 2Fh x h is the sag vertical
cable hx 2 distance between the
y= ℓ2
lowest point and highest
point,
ℓ is the maximum hori-
zontal distance (x = ℓ),
W is constant load
/weight.
dy Wx 2hx
Angle be- tan θ = dx = Fh = ℓ2
parameter the same as
tween the define before
tension and
x-axis
Important things to know before exercises
s  2
ℓ2
Tension T =W x2 + 2h parameter the
same as define
s before.
 2
ℓ
Maximum T = Wℓ 1+ 2h parameter the
tension same as define
s before.
 2
x Wx
Length of S(x) = 1+ 2 Fh + parameter the
the cable     same as define
between to 1 Fh Wx before.
2 W ln Fh +
point along s    2
the x Wx
1+ Fh .
The span is the distance from one end of the cable to the other
end.
Example 1/ Problem 1

Calculate the tension T0 in the cable at A necessary to support the

load distributed uniformly with respect to the horizontal. Also find
the angle θ made by the cable with the horizontal at the
attachment point B.
Example 2/ Problem 2
A cable supports a load of 50 kg/m uniformly distributed with
respect to the horizontal and is suspended from the two fixed
points located as shown. Determine maximum and minimum
tensions Tmax and Fh or T0 in the cable.
Example 3/ Problem 3

A length of cable which has a mass of 1.2 kg/m is to have a sag of

2.4 m when suspended from the two points A and B on the same
horizontal line 10 m apart. Determine the length L of cable.
Example 4/ Problem 4

Cable AB supports the uniformly distributed load of 4 kN/m.

If the slope of the cable at A is zero, compute
(a) the maximum tensile force in the cable; and
(b) the length of the cable.
Example 5/ Problem 5

The cable of the suspension bridge spans L = 140m with a sag

H = 20 m. The cable supports a uniformly distributed load of
W N/m along the horizontal. If the maximum allowable force in
the cable is 4 MN, determine the largest permissible value of W.
Example 6/ Problem 6

The two main cables of Gabriel village suspension bridge in

Potchefstrooom have a span L = 1990m and a sag H = 233 m.
The loading on each cable is W = 444.7 kN/m (without traffic)
along the horizontal. Determine the corresponding maximum force
in one of the cables.
Dankie vir julle aandag