Week 06 - Cables and Suspension Bridges

CE215
Structural Analysis
Dr. Muhammad Fahim
drfahimuet@gmail.com
Week 06
Cables and Suspension Bridges
Contents
• Definition.
• Calculation of tension in cables subjected to point and uniformly distributed
loads.
• Various components of suspension bridges.
• Analysis of Stiffened suspension bridges with three hinged stiffening girders.
1. Introduction
1. Introduction
• Cables are often used in engineering structures for support and to transmit loads from one
member to another.
• When used to support suspension roofs, bridges, and trolley wheels, cables form the main
load-carrying element in the structure.
• In the force analysis of such systems, the weight of the cable itself may be neglected;
however, when cables are used as guys for radio antennas, electrical transmission lines, and
derricks, the cable weight may become important and must be included in the structural
analysis.
1. Introduction
• When deriving the necessary relations between the force in the cable and its slope, we will
make the assumption that the cable is perfectly flexible and inextensible.
• Due to its flexibility, the cable offers no resistance to shear or bending and, therefore, the
force acting in the cable is always tangent to the cable at points along its length.
• Being inextensible, the cable has a constant length both before and after the load is
applied.
• As a result, once the load is applied, the geometry of the cable remains fixed, and the cable
or a segment of it can be treated as a rigid body.
2. Cable Subjected to
Concentrated Loads
2. Cables Subjected to Concentrated Loads
• When a cable of negligible weight supports several concentrated loads, the cable takes the
form of several straight-line segments, each of which is subjected to a constant tensile
force.
• If the distances L1, L2, and L3, and the loads P1 and P2 are known, then the problem is to
determine the nine unknowns consisting of the tension in each of the three segments, the
four components of reaction at A and B, and the sags yc and yD at the two points C and D.
• For the solution we can write two equations of force equilibrium at each of points A, B, C,
and D.
• This results in a total of eight equations.
• To complete the solution, it will be necessary to know something about the geometry of the
cable in order to obtain the necessary ninth equation.
• For example, if the cable’s total length l is specified, then the Pythagorean theorem can be
used to relate l to each of the three segmental lengths, written in terms θ, yC, yD, L1, L2, and
L 3.
• Unfortunately, this type of problem cannot be solved easily by hand.
• Another possibility, however, is to specify one of the sags, either yC or yD , instead of the
cable length.
• By doing this, the equilibrium equations are then sufficient for obtaining the unknown forces
and the remaining sag.
• Once the sag at each point of loading is obtained, l can then be determined by trigonometry.
Example 01
• Determine the tension in each segment of the cable shown in Fig. Also, what is the
dimension h?
Example 01
• By inspection, there are four unknown external reactions (Ax, Ay, Dx, and Dy) and three
unknown cable tensions, one in each cable segment.
• These seven unknowns along with the sag h can be determined from the eight available
equilibrium equations (∑Fx = 0 , ∑Fy = 0) applied to points A through D.
Example 01
• A more direct approach to the solution is to recognize that the slope of cable CD is specified,
and so a free-body diagram of the entire cable is shown in Fig. 5–2b.
Example 01
Example 01
3. Cables Subjected to UDL
• In order to analyze this problem, we will first determine the shape of a cable subjected to a
uniform horizontally distributed vertical load w0, Fig. 5–3a.
• Here the x, y axes have their origin located at the lowest point on the cable, such that the
slope is zero at this point.
• The free-body diagram of a small segment of the cable having a length Δs is shown in Fig.
• Since the tensile force in the cable changes continuously in both magnitude and direction
along the cable’s length, this change is denoted on the free-body diagram by ΔT.
• The distributed load is represented by its resultant force w0Δx which acts at Δx/2 from point
O.
Applying equilibrium:
Horizontal Component of Force
• Integrating Eq. 5–1, where Tcos = FH at x = 0, we have:
• which indicates the horizontal component of force

at any point along the cable remains constant.
Equation of the Cable
• Integrating Eq. 5–2, where Tsin = 0 at x = 0, we have:
• Dividing Eq. 5–5 by Eq. 5–4 eliminates T. Then using Eq. 5–3, we can obtain the slope at
any point,
• This is the equation of a parabola.

• Realize that we have neglected the weight of the cable, which is uniform along the length of
the cable, and not along its horizontal projection.
• Actually, a cable subjected to its own weight and free of any other loads will take the form
of a catenary curve.
• However, if the sag-to span ratio is small, which is the case for most structural applications,
this curve closely approximates a parabolic shape, as determined here.
• The constant FH may be obtained by using the boundary condition, y = h at x = L Thus,
• Finally, substituting into Eq. 5–7 yields:

Maximum Tension in the Cable
• From Eq. 5–4, the maximum tension in the cable occurs when θ is maximum; i.e., at x = L.
• Hence, from Eqs. 5–4 and 5–5,
• Using Eq. 5–8, we can express Tmax in terms of w0 i.e.,

• From the results of this analysis, it follows that a cable will maintain a parabolic shape,
provided the dead load of the deck for a suspension bridge or a suspended girder will be
uniformly distributed over the horizontal projected length of the cable.
• Hence, if the girder in Fig. is supported by a series of hangers, which are close and
uniformly spaced, the load in each hanger must be the same so as to ensure that the cable has
a parabolic shape.
• If the girder is simply supported as well as supported by the cable, the analysis will be
statically indeterminate to the first degree.
• However, if the girder has an internal pin at some intermediate point along its length, then
this would provide a condition of zero moment, and so a determinate structural analysis of
the girder can be performed.
Example 01
• The cable in Fig. supports a girder which weighs 850 lb/ft. Determine the tension in the
cable at points A, B, and C.
Example 01
• The origin of the coordinate axes is established at point B, the lowest point on the cable,
where the slope is zero.
• The parabolic equation for the cable is:
Example 01
• For point A:
Example 01
• At point A,
Example 01
• Using Eq. 5–4,
• At point B, x = 0,
Example 01
• At point C,
4. Suspension Bridges
Example 01
• The suspension bridge in Fig. 5–6a is constructed using the two stiffening trusses that are
pin connected at their ends C and supported by a pin at A and a rocker at B. Determine the
maximum tension in the cable IH. The cable has a parabolic shape and the bridge is
subjected to the single load of 50 kN.
Example 01
• The free-body diagram of the cable-truss system is shown in Fig. 5–6b. According to Eq. 5–4
(T cos  = FH), the horizontal component of cable tension at I and H must be constant, FH.
• Taking moments about B, we have
Example 01
• If only half the suspended structure is considered, Fig. 5–6c, then summing moments about
the pin at C, we have
• From the two equations:

Example 01
• the value of an assumed uniform distributed loading w0 from Eq. 5–8:
Assignment No. 3
Assignment No. 3
• A cable of uniform cross section is used to span a distance of 40m as shown in Fig. The
cable is subjected to uniformly distributed load of 10 kN/m. The left support is below the
right support by 2 m and the lowest point on the cable C is located below left support by 1
m. Evaluate the reactions and the maximum and minimum values of tension in the cable.

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CE215

• Integrating Eq. 5–1, where Tcos = FH at x = 0, we have:

• which indicates the horizontal component of force

• Integrating Eq. 5–2, where Tsin = 0 at x = 0, we have:

• This is the equation of a parabola.

• The constant FH may be obtained by using the boundary condition, y = h at x = L Thus,

• Finally, substituting into Eq. 5–7 yields:

• Using Eq. 5–8, we can express Tmax in terms of w0 i.e.,

• From the two equations:

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