Post-Elastic Response of Suspended Cables

An analytical investigation is made of the post-elastic response of a suspended cable to a point load and a uniformly distributed load. The theories apply to a suspended cable in which the ratio of sag to span is about 1:8 or less. This restriction covers most cases of practical importance. The solutions are given in dimensionless form and take account of the actual stress-strain properties of the material. They are particularly simple to apply to practical problems. The investigation shows that there exists a considerable reserve of strength over and above the elastic limit before the ultimate capacity is reached. It is found, however, that post-elastic excursions, which give rise to nonrecoverable strains, can cause unacceptable changes in dead-load geometry especially for cables that are originally taut and flat.