Discrete Analysis for Single-Pylon Suspension Bridges

This paper presents calculation methods, developed at Tallinn University of Technology (Idnurm 2004; Kulbach 2007), for the single-pylon suspension bridges stiffened by a girder. Classical suspension bridge consists of a geometrically non-linear cable, connected by hangers with an elastic linear stiffening girder, pylons in both ends of the bridge and anchor cables. Alternate form of a suspension bridge is a bridge, with only one pylon on the middle of the span and suspension cable is connected to the abutments or the ends of the stiffening girder. In the calculation of suspension bridges, the geometrically non-linear behaviour of the parabolic cable is the main problem. The linear methods of analysis suit only for small spans. A geometrically non-linear continual model is especially useful for classical loading cases – a uniformly distributed load on the whole or half span. But the modern traffic models consist of concentrated and uniformly distributed loads. The discrete model of a suspension bridge allows us to apply all kinds of loads, such as distributed or concentrated ones. The assumptions of the discrete method described here are: linear elastic strain-stress dependence of the material and absence of horizontal displacements of hangers. Hanger elongation is taken into account.