• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.87 no.3
• /
• pp.255-272
• /
• 2023

Spatial cable systems can provide more transverse stiffness and torsional stiffness without sacrificing the vertical bearing capacity compared with conventional vertical cable systems, which is quite lucrative for long-span earth-anchored suspension bridges' development. Higher economy highlights the importance of refined form-finding analysis. Meanwhile, the internal connection between the lateral and vertical sags has not yet been specified. Given this, an analytic algorithm of form-finding for the earth-anchored suspension bridge with spatial cables is proposed in this paper. Through the geometric compatibility condition and mechanical equilibrium condition, the expressions for cable segment, the recurrence relationship between catenary parameters and control equations of spatial cable are established. Additionally, the nonlinear general reduced gradient method is introduced into fast and high-precision numerical analysis. Furthermore, the analytic expression of the lateral and vertical sags is deduced and discussed. This is very significant for the space design above the bridge deck and the optimization of the sag-to-span ratio in the preliminary design stage of the bridge. Finally, the proposed method is verified with the aid of two examples, one being an operational self-anchored suspension bridge (with spatial cables and a 260 m main span), and the other being an earth-anchored suspension bridge under design (with spatial cables and a 500 m main span). The necessity of an iterative calculation for hanger tensions on earth-anchored suspension bridges is confirmed. It is further concluded that the main cable and their connected hangers are in very close inclined planes.

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

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.407-424
• /
• 2015

To explore the favorable structural system of cable-stayed bridges with ultra-kilometer main span, based on a fully self-anchored cable-stayed bridge with 1400 m main span, a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge scheme with the same main span is designed. Numerical investigation on the dynamic characteristics, aerostatic and aerodynamic stability of both two bridge schemes is conducted, and the results are compared to those of a suspension bridge with similar main span, and considering from the aspect of wind stability, the feasibility of using partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge in super long-span bridges with ultra-kilometer main span is discussed. Moreover, the effects of structural design parameters including the length of earth-anchored girder, the number of auxiliary piers in side span, the height and width of girder, the tower height etc on the dynamic characteristics, aerostatic and aerodynamic stability of a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge are analyzed, and their reasonable values are proposed. The results show that as compared to fully self-anchored cable-stayed bridge and suspension bridge with similar main span, the partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge has greater structural stiffness and better aerostatic and aerodynamic stability, and consequently becomes a favorable structural system for super long-span bridges with ultra-kilometer main span. The partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge can achieve greater stiffness and better wind stability under the cases of increasing the earth-anchored girder length, increasing the height and width of girder, setting several auxiliary piers in side span and increasing the tower height.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.621-652
• /
• 2016

A new cable-supported bridge model consisting of suspension parts, self-anchored cable-stayed parts and earth-anchored cable-stayed parts is presented. The new bridge model can be used for suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges, cable-stayed suspension bridges, and partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridges by varying parameters. Based on the assumption that each structural member is in either an axial compressive or tensile state, and the stress in each member is equal to the allowable stress of the material, the material quantity for each component is calculated. By introducing the unit cost of each type of material, the estimation formula for the cost of the new bridge model is developed. Numerical examples show that the results from the estimation formula agree well with that from the real projects. The span limit of cable supported bridge depends on the span-to-height ratio and the density-to-strength ratio of cables. Finally, a parametric study is illustrated aiming at the relations between three key geometrical parameters and the cost of the bridge model. The optimization of the new bridge model indicates that the self-anchored cable-stayed part is always the dominant part with the consideration of either the lowest total cost or the lowest unit cost. It is advisable to combine all three mentioned structural parts in super long span cable supported bridges to achieve the most excellent economic performance.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.1309-1317
• /
• 1994

Because the stiffening girders are constructed after the installation of hangers for typical suspension bridge, no additional tensioning to hangers in construction is necessary for this bridge type in which main cable is earth-anchored. However, for self-anchored suspension bridge, hangers are installed after temporarily supporting stiffening girders constructed in previous stage. Therefore, initial tension is required on installing hangers. Tension of hangers varies as the construction proceeds. Hence, it is necessary to determine the most efficient method of installing hangers among several methods. This study presents finite element procedures and the algorithms of construction stage analysis to simulate construction processes. Geometric nonlinear analysis scheme is also included. The most effective method regarding the installation of hangers is presented through the examples of actual bridge model.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.16 no.2 s.69
• /
• pp.285-293
• /
• 2004

As a special infrastructure, it is important that the suspension bridges which were designed by using the cable are carefully maintained and safely inspected after their construction, more than what is done in other cases of bridge structures. However, the structural analysis for their design and maintenance has considered only the simplified geometric shape of the structure. Particularly, it is not easy to make the modeling analyze the bridge structure including detailed steel deck plates. In this paper, we evaluated the structural behaviors and performances of the completed earth-anchored suspension bridge that was in a completed state through both the tension of hanger member and their computational analysis. We considered the frame system and the detailed steel deck plates that were especially added into the modeling to take more precision analysis about it. We also applied hanger tensions converted by the natural frequency and the natural frequency of the bridge when in normal vibration. Results of the vehicle loading test were used in the analysis. We compared the results by using our modeling with the result of the loading test and the hanger tension. Our prediction on the behavior of the structure emulates the behavior of the real structure. In applying the data measured by the typhoon "Maemi" which arrived in-land last year, we confirmed our analysis model for the possibility of applying effectively into the preliminary design and maintenance plan.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.219-229
• /
• 2003

The extended tangent stiffness matrices and force-deformation relations of the elastic catenary element were initially derived through the addition of the unstrained length of cables to unknown nodal 'displacements. A beam-column element was then introduced to model the deck and pylon of cable-stayed bridges. The conventional geometric nonlinear analysis, initial force method, and TCUD method were summarized, with an effective method combining two methods presented to determine the initial shapes of cable-stayed bridges with dead loads. In this combined method, TCUD method was applied to eliminate vertical and horizontal displacements at cable-supported points of decks and on top of pylons, respectively. The initial force method was also adopted to eliminate horizontal and vertical displacements of decks and pylons. Finally, the accuracy and validity of the proposed combined method were demonstrated through numerical examples.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.26-35
• /
• 2019

In designing a gravity-type anchorage of earth-anchored suspension bridge, the contact friction between a blasted rock mass and the concrete anchorage plays a key role in the stability of the entire anchorage. Therefore, it is vital to understand the shear behavior of the interface between the blasted rock mass and concrete. In this study, a portable 3D LiDAR scanner was utilized to scan the blasted bottom surfaces, and rock surface roughness was quantitatively analyzed from the scanned profiles to apply to 3D FEM modelling. In addition, based on the 3D FEM model, a three-dimensional dynamic fracture process analysis (DFPA-3D) technique was applied to study on the shear behavior of the interface between blasted rock and concrete through direct shear tests, which was analyzed under constant normal load (CNL). The effects of normal stress and the joint roughness on shear failure behavior are also analyzed.