• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.137-146
• /
• 2005

This study presents the shape iteration method and the updated Lagrangian methods to calculate the initial tension and the reference length of cables of cable-stayed bridges. The girders and towers of cable-stayed bridge are modelled as 3-dimensional frame elements and the cable as nonlinear truss element or Ernst's cable element. Compared with the initial tensions of cables by finite element method in this study and by trial-and error method in practices, the tensions by the former are shown to be a little less than the those by the latter. The reference lengths of cables by Ernst's cable elements are almost consistent with those of cables by nonlinear truss elements. And the reference length of cables in this study are almost consistent with the arc length of beam with the same initial tension. Therefore the reference lengths of cables in cable-stayed bridges are shown to be obtained simply by the theory of beam with the initial tension calculated in this study.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.15-26
• /
• 1991

The lateral forces such as the earthquake and wind my cause the torsion to be coupled with the lateral bending in the gider, the cross-section of wich has only one axis of symmetry. This induces additional stresses especially in cables arranged in double-planes. Since this effect cannot be considered by using the conventional frame elements, the stiffness and the mass matrices of the geometrically nonlinear thin-walled frame element are developed in this study to model the girder. The equivalent modulus of elasticity proposed by Ernst is used for the cable elements. Verification of the present theory is made through a numerical example. Then, the free vibration of a three dimensional cable-stayed bridge is analyzed to study the coupled flexural-torsional behavior.