Design of the Great Belt East Bridge

The suspension bridge is one of the oldest structural systems for crossing long spans. Historical records indicate that more than 1,000 years ago this simple load-carrying system - the pure tension member - was used in China for suspended spans. The main complication was efficient and safe anchoring of the main cables to resist the horizontal load. The newest generation of long span suspension bridge, as developed for the Great Belt East Bridge in Denmark, has lead to a number of developments and further refinements of the classical suspension bridge design and structural and mechanical components, advancing the state-of-the-art for lighter suspension bridges.