GROUP 6

TINOTENDA MURAMBWI N02220678D

WILLIAM ZHOU N02221199Y
RYAN T MUCHADONHA N02221202T
SHAWN B PHIRI N02221192X
JOSEPH T MUSIPA N02218859P
TINASHE MAPINYI N02019187W
CABLES & ARCHES
Cables
 capable of spanning long distances
 Flexible
 Carry loads in tension but force not axial
- cable has sag
 Used in supporting bridges and roofs (cable weight neglected in analysis)
 Also used to transmit loads in antennae and electricity power lines (cable weight must be
considered in analysis)
 ARCHES

they carries load in compression

 they are used in bridges, dome roofs and openings in masonry
walls
Cables subjected to concentrated loading
Assumptions made in analysis of cables;
Cable is perfectly flexible
i.e. No resistance to shear/ bending & force acts at tangent to cable

Cable is inextensible
i.e. Constant length before & after loading
After loading, geometry of cable fixed & treated as a rigid body
 e.g. Determine the tension in each
Segment of the cable.
Find dimension h.

Solution.
Point C

Point B
CABLES SUBJECTED TO UDL
Cables subjected to UDL
e.g. Suspension bridges

First determine shape of cable

Origin at point of zero slope
Consider a small element of
the cable and draw FBD

Divide through by and take limits as and so

Integrating ; at x=0 where yields

i.e. Horizontal component of force at any point is constant (not a function of x)

And integrating ; at x=0 where yields

Dividing by and using gives

Slope at any point

Integrating above expression again and using gives

equation of parabola

Obtain by using BC i.e.

Such that equation of parabola becomes

Finding maximum tension:
Maximum tension when angle is a maximum at

So using and yields

or

NB Load must be UDL

- forms catenary when there is no other loading
- Parabola formed for UDL over horizontal projected length of cable
- For simply supported girder that is also supported by cable, statically
indeterminate to first degree
- Introducing internal hinge makes it statically determinate
e.g. The cable below supports a girder which weighs 12kN/m. Determine the
tension in the cable at A, B, and C.

Solution.
Establish coordinate axis at lowest point where slope is zero as shown.
• Let C be at a distance x’ from B such that
Also for point A

And, therefore

Differentiating our expression for y yields

Considering point A first

So

Point B; x=0
Point C
 ARCHES
 carry load in compression
 used in bridges, dome roofs and openings in masonry walls
 Used to reduce bending moment in long-span structures
 Act like inverted cables but unlike cables can resist shear and bending

funicular arch – one that is parabolic in shape and is subjected to a vertical

UDL. The only stresses are compressive- no bending or shear
fixed arch – often made of reinforced concrete. Requires less material than
other types of arches but needs solid foundation abutments. Statically
indeterminate to the third degree

two-hinged arch – commonly made of metal or timber. Statically indeterminate

to the first degree but can be made determinate by replacing one of the
hinges with a roller. This however would make it impossible to resist
bending
three-hinged arch – commonly made of metal or timber. Statically determinate

Three-hinged Arch
 for analysis, dismantle the arch and draw FBDs of both members

 There are 6 unknowns and 6 equilibrium equations

 Apply sum of moments at A and B
 Apply force equations at C to get reactions
 Apply method of sections to get internal forces at any point
 NB section must be perpendicular to axis of arch at point of interest (shown above)
Example
The three-hinged arch bridge below has a parabolic shape and carries a UDL.
Show that the arch is subjected only to axial compression (e.g. at point D).

Solution
• For a different shape of arch or for non-uniform loading, shear and moment
are non-zero
• If a simply supported beam had to carry the same UDL it would have to
resist a moment of (wl2/8) 1600kNm
• Therefore it is structurally more efficient to resist load in direct
compression→ just need to check buckling