Long-Term Sustenance Issue of Cables for Cable-Supported Bridges

Cable-supported bridges are marvels of modern engineering. The construction and use of these have been on the rise for the last fifty years. Cables, with higher strength than the structural sections and innate flexibility, offer an economic solution for medium and long-span bridges. The reduced weight of the structure helps in contributing to the demands of sustainability. From a structural standpoint, cable-stayed bridges are complex and have many critical areas that need attention from the design stage itself. The complexity in the maintenance of these bridges is getting evident with reports of deterioration of several bridges after use of fewer than twenty years, a rather grim situation; after large investments made for such elegant structures.

The present paper reviews the situation and the challenges for the engineering community in ensuring safe sustainable cable-supported structures for the future and also actions needed to avoid sudden failure of structures, already built without giving adequate thought to inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation aspects.