Suspended Cable Structures

Suspended cable structures – Forms of long-span structures those are subjected to tension and
use suspension cables for support.
As for examples, the suspension bridge, the cable-stayed roof, and the bicycle-wheel roof are
highly efficient cable structures.
As stated earlier, the cables are considered to be perfectly flexible (no flexural stiffness) and in
extensible. As they are flexible they do not resist shear force and bending moment. It is subjected
to axial tension only and it is always acting tangential to the cable at any point along the length. If
the weight of the cable is negligible as compared with the externally applied loads then its self
weight is neglected in the analysis. In the present analysis self weight is not considered.
Unlike rigid structures, deformable structures undergo changes in their shape according to
externally applied loads. However, it should be noted that deformations are still small.
Cables and fabric structures are deformable structures. Cables are mainly used to support
suspension roofs, bridges and cable car system. They are also used in electrical transmission lines
and for structure supporting radio antennas.
types of cable network systems,
shapes of cable suspended systems
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
types of cable network systems:
Broadly of two types in cable supported bridges : Cable suspension systems and Cable-
Stayed systems.

Cable Suspended Bridges

 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
types of cable network systems:
Cable Suspended Bridges: Are types of bridges in which the deck (load bearing system) is
hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders.
i.e. two types of cables: cable suspended between towers and vertical suspender cables.
Tension in cables and compression in towers.
Apart from suspension bridges, cables are used to
Suspend roofs and
Support trolley wheels
Self weight of cables are neglected in analysis of suspension bridge, suspended roofs or
supported trolley wheels. But
Weight is considered in analysis of transmission lines and cables for antennas.
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
types of cable network systems:
Cable Stayed Bridges: Are types of bridges in which the deck (load bearing system) is
supported directly by cables from towers or pilons.

Cable Stayed Bridges

 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
Cable Stayed Bridges:
Two types cable designs used in cable stayed bridges: Harp and Fan types

Harp design Fan design

In the harp or parallel design, the cables are nearly parallel so that the height of their
attachment to the tower is proportional to the distance from the tower to their mounting
on the deck
In the fan design, the cables all connect to or pass over the top of the towers. The fan
design is structurally superior with a minimum moment applied to the towers
In addition, there are mono and star designs
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
shapes of cable suspended systems
The suspension cables redirect external forces by axial tension.
The shape assumed by a rope or a chain (with no stiffness) under the action of
external loads when hung from two supports is known as a funicular shape. Cable is
a funicular structure.
It is easy to visualize that a cable hung from two supports subjected to external load
must be in tension.
A cable may be defined as the structure in pure tension having the funicular shape
of the load.
The shape of the cable depends on the external loading and support systems.
Any change in loading or support systems, changes the shape of the funicular curve.
As the number of load increases, the funicular polygon approaches a geometrical curve.
The shape approaches a parabola for a large number of loads evenly spaced horizontally.
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
shapes of cable suspended systems
If the loads are evenly distributed along the length of the
cable (rather than spaced horizontally), then it differs from
parabola and takes the shape of a catenary.
Lightness and flexibility are demerits of the system, can be
largely eliminated by pre-stressing.
Cable structures: cable suspension structures and cable
stayed structures
 Suspended Cable Structures
Suspended cable structures –
shapes of cable suspended systems
Cable suspension structures can be classified into:
single curvature structures
Double curvature structures and
Double cable structures
Suspended Cable Structures
 Suspended Cable Structures
Double curvature: Imagine four people holding out a large thin square rubber or cotton sheet, one at each
corner, pulling fairly hard. The sheet is flat and tight around the edges, and yet the sheet has very little
resistance to movement in the central area. For example, even a light wind will cause it to bulge up or down,
and a ball thrown onto the surface will deflect it significantly.

Now imagine that two diagonally opposing people peg their corners to the ground, and the other two maintain
their position.

The middle of the sheet is now halfway between the low points and high points. From this middle point, fabric
is curving both downwards toward the corners on the ground, and upwards toward the people holding out the
other two corners. This is a much more stable shape which will inherently resist movement from download or
uplift. The fabric is in double curvature, the form in this instance is a “hypar”.

http://www.spandesign.com/technical/article_what_is_double_curvature.aspx
 Suspended Cable Structures
Double cable: With two sets of cables having opposite curvature to each other

is able to carry vertical load in both upward and downward direction with equal effectiveness. Each set of cable
is essentially "in charge" of carrying vertical load in one particular direction. The set of cable with convex
curvature carries the downward force while that with concave curvature resists uplift.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/81e6/79d6384d5561ed1d003d75d018dcb2a658f8.pdf
http://www.spandesign.com/technical/article_what_is_double_curvature.aspx
Suspended Cable Structures