Parametric Study of the Stay Cables of a Major Cable-Stayed Bridge under Vibration Mechanisms

Bridge engineering has evolved together with new computing tools and the technology of materials. Part of this evolution is due to the construction of suspended and cable-stayed bridges. In the case of cable-stayed bridges, wind effects can induce instabilities of the deck or large vibrations of the cables. In certain cases, the wind-induced vibration of the cables can be a concern, and alternatives to mitigate such vibrations can be adopted. The main objective of this work is to carry out a parametric study of the cables of the Baluarte bridge, which is currently under construction in the northwest of Mexico. For the parametric analyses, selected cables are subjected to three different vibration mechanisms: atmospheric turbulence, vortex shedding and parametric excitation. Further, the use of auxiliary damping devices to mitigate vibration is evaluated. The implications of the analyses results in the structural behavior of the cables bridge are discussed.