Open AccessOptimization and Form-finding of the Heavy Cable Suspending a Deck
Author(s) -
J. Liu,
C.Y. Wang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of civil engineering and construction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2051-7777
pISSN - 2051-7769
DOI - 10.32732/jcec.2021.10.3.154
Subject(s) - deck , tension (geology) , aspect ratio (aeronautics) , suspension (topology) , structural engineering , diameter ratio , mathematics , engineering , mechanics , materials science , physics , composite material , homotopy , pure mathematics , ultimate tensile strength
The heavy spanning cable supporting a uniform deck is important in the design of suspension bridges. The analytic design method is presented in this paper. The problem depends on three non-dimensional parameters: the ratio of cable length to the horizontal spanning distance, the ratio of vertical to horizontal distance, and the ratio of deck density to cable density. Given these parameters, useful tables of maximum tension and sag are determined. There exists an optimum cable length for which the maximum tension is minimized. In addition, it is shown that continuous loads and discrete loads are equivalent if the number of evenly-spaced discrete loads are more than 10.