CABLES AND SUSPENSION

BRIDGES
 A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the
deck (the load-bearing portion) is hung below
suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first
modern examples of this type of bridge were built in
the early 19th century. Simple suspension bridges, which
lack vertical suspenders, have a long history in many
mountainous parts of the world.

 This type of bridge has cables suspended

between towers, plus vertical suspender cables that carry
the weight of the deck below, upon which traffic
crosses. This arrangement allows the deck to be level
or to arc upward for additional clearance. Like other
suspension bridge types, this type often is constructed
without false work.
 FUNCTION OF A
BRIDGE
To connect two
communities which are
separated by streams,
valley, railroads, etc.

•Suspension bridges are used

for highways , where the span
of a bridge is more than
200m.
i. Main cable
ii. Suspenders
iii. Decking and stiffening girder
iv. Supporting tower
v. Anchor cable
T V V T

A BB
H H
A

W
KN/m
Equation of horizontal reaction

wL
VA  VB  Taking moments
2
about c, on the right
Hd wL 2
wL
 side of c
 L
8 2
wL 2 wL
Hd 2 
 8 4
2
wL 2
Hd
 8
wL 2
Hd   Horizontal reaction
 8d
 T
ß

H
B
?
p
T w
kN/m
 The cable tension T at any end is the resultant of
vertical and horizontal reaction at the end.

wL 2 wL2
TA  TB  T  ( ) ( )
2
8d
wL 2 w 2 L4
T  ( ) 
2
64d 2
wL
T  1 2 2
2 L
16d
 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
 Maximum tension in cable will occur at ends

wL L2
T max  1
2 16d 2

 The inclination β of T with vertical is given by,

H wL2 w L L
ta n    / 
V 8d 2 4d
 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
 The equation of parabola, with c as the origin
can be written as ,

4 d
y  x 2

L2
dy 8 d x
 dx 
L2
 Consider an element of length ds of the
curve, having coordinates x and y.
ds  dx 2  dy 2

2
ds  dx 1  dy 
  dx 
1
ds 64d 2 x 2  64d 2 x 2  2
 1  
dx   1
L4  L4 

ds 1 64d 2 x 2 Expanding by binominal theoremand 

 1 
 d 2 x2 
dx 2 L4 
negleting higher powersof 
L4
 1 32d 2 x 2 
ds    dx
 L4
 Total length of the cable,

S  2
L
2 1  32d 2 x 2 
 4
 dx
0
 L 
L
 32d 2  x 3  2
S  2 x  4 3
 L 0

 L 4 2 L3 
S  2   d L4
2 3 
 8d2
SL  Total length of thecable.
 3 L

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 atop 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.
 Guide pulley Saddle on roller
arrangement arrangement

Ancho
Anchor suspensio r suspencio
n cable cable n
cabl
cable
e
ß ß
ß ß 2
1
1
2

1

2

Vp  T cos 1  cos
 2
Hp  T sin 1  sin
 2
 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.

T1sin 1  T 2 sin  2 
H
 The vertical pressure on the top of the pier is,

Vp  T1 cos1  T 2 cos 2
 SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE, USA

Completion Date: 1987 Cost: $244 Million

Length: 29,040 feet Type: Cable

Stayed

Materials: Steel, Concrete Span: 1200

feet
 AKASHI KAIKYO BRIDGE,
JAPAN

Completion Date: 1998 Cost: $4.3 billion

Length: 12,828 feet Type: Suspension

Materials: Steel Span: 6,527 feet