• Wind and Structures
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.533-542
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• 2007

The cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge is a cooperative system of the cable-stayed bridge and suspension bridge, and takes some advantages and also makes up some deficiencies of both the two bridge systems, and therefore becomes strong in spanning. By taking the cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge, suspension bridge and cable-stayed bridge with main span of 1400 m as examples, the mechanics performance including the static and dynamic characteristics, the aerostatic and aerodynamic stability etc is investigated by 3D nonlinear analysis. The results show that as compared to the suspension bridge and cable-stayed bridge, the cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge has greater structural stiffness, less internal forces and better wind stability, and is favorable to be used in super long-span bridges.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2011

The cable system is generally considered to be a structural solution to increase the spanning capacity of suspension bridges. In this work, based on the Runyang Bridge over the Yangtze River, three case suspension bridges with different 3D cable systems are designed, structural dynamic characteristics, the aerostatic and aerodynamic stability are investigated numerically by 3D nonlinear aerostatic and aerodynamic analysis, and the cable system favorable to improve the wind-induced instability of long-span suspension bridges is also proposed. The results show that as compared to the example bridge with parallel cable system, the suspension bridge with inward-inclined cable system has greater lateral bending and tensional frequencies, and also better aerodynamic stability; as for the suspension bridge with outward-inclined cable system, it has less lateral bending and tensional frequencies, and but better aerostatic stability; however the suspension bridge is more prone to aerodynamic instability, and therefore considering the whole wind-induced instability, the parallel and inward-inclined cable systems are both favorable for long-span suspension bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.195-207
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• 2006

An efficient and accurate algorithm is proposed to estimate cable safety factor of suspension bridges satisfying prescribed reliability levels. Uncertainties in the structure and load parameters are incorporated. The proposed algorithm integrates the concepts of the inverse reliability method and deterministic method for assessing cable safety factors of suspension bridges. The unique feature of the proposed method is that it offers a tool for cable safety assessment of suspension bridges, when the reliability level is specified as a target to be satisfied by the designer. After the accuracy and efficiency of the method are demonstrated through two numerical examples, the method is used to estimate cable safety factors of suspension bridges with span length ranging from 2000 to 5000 m. The results show that the deterministic method overestimates cable safety factor of suspension bridges because of neglecting the parameter uncertainty effects. The actual cable safety factor of suspension bridges should be estimated based on the proposed method.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.301-308
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• 2014

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the beam is suspended by load-bearing cables. There are two classifications: the self-anchored suspension bridge has the main cable anchored to the bridge girders, and the earth-anchored suspension bridge has the main cable anchored to a large anchorage. Although a suspension bridge is structurally safe, it is prone to be damaged by various actions such as hurricanes, tsunamis and terrorist incidents because its cables are exposed. If damage to a cable eventually leads to the cable rupture, the bridge may collapse. To avoid these accidents, studies on the dynamic behavior of cable bridges due to the cable rupture have been carried out. Design codes specify that the calculated DAF (dynamic amplification factor) should not exceed a certain value. However, it has been difficult to determine DAFs effectively from dynamic analysis, and thus no systematic approach has been suggested. The current study provides a guideline to determine DAFs reliably from the dynamic analysis results and summarizes the results by applying the method to an earth-anchored suspension bridge. In the study, DAFs were calculated at the location of four structural parts, girders, pylons, main cable and hangers, with variations in the rupture time.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.1203-1221
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• 2015

By taking a cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge with main span of 1400 m as example, seismic response of the bridge under the horizontal and vertical seismic excitations is investigated numerically by response spectrum analysis and time history analysis, its seismic performance is discussed and compared to the cable-stayed bridge and suspension bridge with the same main span, and considering the aspect of seismic performance, the feasibility of using cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge in super long-span bridges is discussed. Under the horizontal seismic action, the effects of structural design parameters including the cable sag to span ratio, the suspension to span ratio, the side span length, the subsidiary piers in side spans, the girder supporting system and the deck form etc on the seismic performance of the bridge are investigated by response spectrum analysis, and the favorable values of these design parameters are proposed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.939-957
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• 2015

In this paper, a new approach based on the continuum model is proposed to estimate the main cable tension force of suspension bridges from measured natural frequencies. This approach considered the vertical vibration of a main cable hinged at both towers and supported by an elastic girder and hangers along its entire length. The equation reflected the relationship between vibration frequency and horizontal tension force of a main cable was derived. To avoid to generate the additional cable tension force by sag-extensibility, the analytical solution of characteristic equation for anti-symmetrical vibration mode of the main cable was calculated. Then, the estimation of main cable tension force was carried out by anti-symmetric characteristic frequency vector. The errors of estimation due to characteristic frequency deviations were investigated through numerical analysis of the main cable of Taizhou Bridge. A field experiment was conducted to verify the proposed approach. Through measuring and analyzing the responses of a main cable of Taizhou Bridge under ambient excitation, the horizontal tension force of the main cable was identified from the first three odd frequencies. It is shown that the estimated results agree well with the designed values. The proposed approach can be used to conduct the long-term health monitoring of suspension bridges.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.331-344
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• 2006

The cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge is a cooperative system developed from the traditional cable-stayed and suspension bridges, and takes some advantages of the two bridge systems. It is also becoming a competitive design alternative for some long and super long-span bridges. But due to its great flexibility, the flutter stability plays an important role in the design and construction of this bridge system. Considering the geometric nonlinearity of bridge structures and the effects of nonlinear wind-structure interaction, method and its solution procedure of three-dimensional nonlinear flutter stability analysis are firstly presented. Parametric analyses on the flutter stability of a cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge with main span of 1400 meters are then conducted by nonlinear flutter stability analysis, some design parameters that significantly influence the flutter stability are pointed out, and the favorable structural system of the bridge is also discussed based on the wind stability.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.471-485
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• 2010

In comparison with the common two-tower suspension bridge, due to the lack of effective longitudinal restraint of the center tower, the three-tower suspension bridge becomes a structural system with greater flexibility, and more susceptible to the wind action. By taking a three-tower suspension bridge-the Taizhou Bridge over the Yangtze River with two main spans of 1080 m as example, effects of structural parameters including the cable sag to span ratio, the side to main span ratio, the deck's dead load, the deck's bearing system, longitudinal structural form of the center tower and the cable system on the aerodynamic stability of the bridge are investigated numerically by 3D nonlinear aerodynamic stability analysis, the favorable structural system of three-tower suspension bridge with good wind stability is discussed. The results show that good aerodynamic stability can be obtained for three-tower suspension bridge as the cable sag to span ratio is assumed ranging from 1/10 to 1/11, the central buckle are provided between main cables and the deck at midpoint of main spans, the longitudinal bending stiffness of the center tower is strengthened, and the spatial cable system or double cable system is employed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.4
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• pp.325-343
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• 2024

Triple-tower double-cable suspension bridges have increased confinement stiffness imposed by the main cable on the middle tower, which has bright application prospects. However, vertical bending and torsional vibrations of the double-cable and the girder are coupled in such bridges due to the hangers. In particular, the bending vibration of the towers in the longitudinal direction and torsional vibrations about the vertical axis influence the vertical bending and torsional vibrations of the stiffening girders, respectively. The conventional analytical algorithm for assessing the dynamic features of the suspension bridge is not directly applicable to this type of bridge. This study attempts to mitigate this problem by introducing an analytical algorithm for solving the triple-tower double-cable suspension bridge's natural frequencies and mode shapes. D'Alembert's principle is employed to construct the differential equations of the vertical bending and torsional vibrations of the stiffening girder continuum in each span. Vibrations of stiffening girders in each span are interrelated via the vibrations of the main cables and the bridge towers. On this basis, the natural frequencies and mode shapes are derived by separating variables. The proposed algorithm is then applied to an engineering example. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of vertical bending and torsional vibrations derived by the analytical algorithm agreed well with calculations via the finite element method. The fundamental frequency of vertical bending and first- and second-order torsion frequencies of double-cable suspension bridges are much higher than those of single-cable suspension bridges. The analytical algorithm has high computational efficiency and calculation accuracy, which can provide a reference for selecting appropriate structural parameters to meet the requirements of dynamics during the preliminary design.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 2007

To gain understanding of the applicability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) cable in cable-supported bridges, based on the Runyang Bridge and Jinsha Bridge, a suspension bridge using CFRP cables and a cable-stayed bridge using CFRP stay cables are schemed, in which the cable's cross-sectional area is determined by the principle of equivalent axial stiffness. Numerical investigations on the dynamic behavior, aerostatic and aerodynamic stability of the two bridges are conducted by 3D nonlinear analysis, and the effect of different cable materials on the wind resistance is discussed. The results show that as CFRP cables are used in cable-supported bridges, (1) structural natural frequencies are all increased, and particularly great increase of the torsional frequency occurs for suspension bridges; (2) under the static wind action, structural deformation is increased, however its aerostatic stability is basically remained the same as that of the case with steel cables; (3) for suspension bridge, its aerodynamic stability is superior to that of the case with steel cables, but for cable-stayed bridge, it is basically the same as that of the case with steel stay cables. Therefore as far as the wind resistance is considered, the use of CFRP cables in cable-supported bridges is feasible, and the cable's cross-sectional area should be determined by the principle of equivalent axial stiffness.