Ultimate behavior and strength of five-span continuous suspension bridges

Many countries around the world have plans to construct super long-span bridges and also a new type of cable-supported bridge. These long-spans bridges require the development of a new technology and must be economical. For crossing wide straits, the multi-span suspension bridge is an economical solution. However, the structural behaviour of this type of bridge has not been fully clarified. In this paper, we focus on the ultimate strength of five-span continuous suspension bridges, particularly the elasto-plastic behaviour and ultimate strength of the overall structure.