Analytic Solution to Longitudinal Deformation of Suspension Bridges under Live Loads
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 2
Abstract
Live load of moving vehicles has a very important effect on the fatigue life of suspension bridges, which causes not only vertical deformation but also longitudinal deformation. In this study, a general analytical formulation for analyzing the quasistatic longitudinal displacement of suspension bridges under vertical live loads is developed, and the underlying deformation mechanism is revealed. First, the analytical vertical and longitudinal deformation equations for the single main cable subjected to live loads are formulated considering the geometric nonlinearity. Then, the relation of longitudinal displacements between the stiffening girder and the main cable for a single-span suspension bridge is established through analyzing the geometric configuration of deformed deck-suspender segment and imposing the null longitudinal force condition. The relation is further modified to incorporate the effect of central buckles (CBs). Compared with the finite-element (FE) prediction, the proposed analytical solution is quite accurate for both concentrated and distributed loads. It is found that the coupling of vertical and longitudinal displacement of main cables and the longitudinal constraint between the cables and girder, are responsible for the longitudinal displacement of the girder. The effects of sag-to-span ratio, CB, and inclined suspenders are studied. The longitudinal displacement of the girder can be reduced by about 20% when the sag-to-span ratio is varied from 1/9 to 1/11, and the CB with proper stiffness is more effective in reducing the longitudinal displacements. The proposed formulation can be conveniently applied for parameter optimization in the preliminary design stage so as to avoid tedious repetitive FE analysis.
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Acknowledgments
This study is sponsored by Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 2021JJ50143, 2021JJ50153, and 2021JJ30106), and Hunan Education Department Foundation Funded Project of China (Grant Nos. 21B0713 and 19B106), which are greatly acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 2 • February 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 5, 2022
Accepted: Oct 29, 2022
Published online: Dec 6, 2022
Published in print: Feb 1, 2023
Discussion open until: May 6, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bridge engineering
- Bridges
- Bridges (by type)
- Cables
- Continuum mechanics
- Deformation (mechanics)
- Design (by type)
- Displacement (mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Equipment and machinery
- Live loads
- Load factors
- Longitudinal loads
- Solid mechanics
- Static loads
- Statics (mechanics)
- Structural design
- Structural engineering
- Structural mechanics
- Suspension bridges
- Vertical loads
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