Balance and Costs of Cable-Stayed Bridges with Inclined and Curved Tower Shapes. Issue 4 (2nd October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jutila, Aarne; Järvenpää, Esko; Quach, Tung T.
• Is Part Of: Structural engineering international. Volume 31:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 498
• Page End: 503
• Publication Date: 2021-10-02
• Subjects: cable-stayed bridge -- balance -- tower -- unconventional tower -- costs; Structural engineering -- Periodicals; 624.1
• DOI: 10.1080/10168664.2021.1929666
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1016-8664

Abstract

Abstract: Although engineers can analyse demanding structures, basic understanding of the structural behaviour is not always clear to them. This is particularly true with cable-stayed bridges having asymmetric spans and inclined or even curved towers. To improve this situation, the present paper with a new simple design approach method is introduced. The method is useful at the conceptual design stage, when only the geometry of the bridge and the approximate weight of the main span is known or easily estimated. No deeper-going computer analysis is needed, but knowledge of basic graphic statics is required. In the paper, analytic formulae are derived for the cable quantity and balancing loads needed. Only harp-type cable-stayed bridges are discussed. The approach is based on the so-called force–length method and curtain cables. The formulae are useful when comparing alternative bridge solutions, or when determining the back-span cable forces and balancing weights needed, especially with curved towers.