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Flexible Cables Inextensible

No resistance to shear Constant length before

and bending and after load is applied

Once load is applied,

Only axial tension
geometry is fixed

Cable force always

tangent to cable treated as a rigid body

Golden gate bridge, San Fransisco (1937) 2

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P ‘First-order’
4P/5 P/5
structural
Pin joint at B analysis
B B 4P/15
B N
N 3 3
3a VA = 12.86 kN
4P/15 A C 1 1 42 C
4P/15 A MB = 0 4P/15
a 4a 4P/5 VD = 17.14 kN
FBDs P/5
4P/5 P/5
Loading diagram
MB sagging or hogging?

P 4P/5 P/5 VA = 12.86 kN

Rigid joint at B
B
✗ MB = 0 !
B MB X MB X = 4P/15
✗ 3a
B
VD = 17.14 kN
A C C
X X X A X HD = HA = 13.71 kN
a 4a FBDs
4P/5 P/5
4P/5 P/5
Loading diagram The frame has a ‘FUNICULAR’ configuration!
(No bending moments or shear forces! 4

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N(x)= V(x)2 + H2
Equivalent simply supported beam

H constant if applied loads are all

vertical

Moment from vertical loads

neutralized by couple due to H
Equivalent simply supported beam
M(x)= M0 (x)- Hy(x)= 0 M(x) = 0 for funicular
systems
M0 (x)
BMD y(x)= Mo is moment in equivalent
0.45WL 0.60WL H
Simply supported beam
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M0 (x)
y(x)= Mo is “Free Bending Moment”
H
But H is constant! (if there are no applied horizontal loads)

⸫ y(x)  Mo(x)

Profile of the funicular system established by shape of the

free bending moment diagram

Vertical Point loads Straight line segments

Distributed loads Parabolic

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Determine the support reactions, cable tensions, sag at the Same as First Problem: Supports are at different levels
point B and the total length for the cable system Determine support reactions and horizontal tension H
A D HD = H HA = H A hc = 2.2143 m
HA = H
① ③ 1m
D
B 2.2143 m HD = H
VA ②
C VA
①
B
VD ②
C
∆y3 Horizontal reactions
③
10 kN 20 kN remain the same for
10 kN
VD both examples; vertical
20 kN
2m 3m 2m reactions change

M A = 0= -VD  7  + 20  5 + 10  2 Axial tension in each cable, Ni = Vi2 + H2

2m 3m 2m Cable length = ?
VD =17.143kN MA = 0= -H 1 - VD (7)  20  5 + 10  2 M C = 0=H  1.93 - VD (2) H = 15.48 kN
Fy = 0= VA + VD - 10 - 20 N1 = 20.13 kN, N2 = 15.75 kN, N3 = 23.1 kN
7VD +H=120 H=1.04VD VD= 14.93 kN
VA =12.857kN Sag at B, using FBD of AB MB = 0  y B =1.66m  2 Fy = 0= VA + VD - 10 - 20
y3 =hc -   1
M C = 0= VD  2 - H(2.2143) Total cable length, 7 VA =15.07kN
H=15.484kN = 2.2143- 0.2857
Axial tension in each cable, Ni = Vi2 + H2
S= 2 + 1.66 + 3 +  2.2143 - 1.66  + 2 + 2.2143
2 2 2 2 2 2
=1.93m
=8.634m N1 = 21.61 kN, N2 = 16.29 kN, N3 = 21.49 kN

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VA = 12.86 kN

VD = 17.14 kN

HD = HA = 13.71 kN

HD (1.0) = Moment
HD
due to horizontal
HA 1.0m forces
B VD
2.5m
VA C Balanced by (ΔV)L
10kN

20kN VA and VD increase

and decrease equally
2m 2m 2m
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Cable subject to distributed loads Basic Differential Equation

y B' V(x)+ΔV
N(x)
N(x)+ΔN Δy V(x)
A q(x) H
B Δy
H θ(x) Δx θ(x) H
h q(x) N(x)
V(x) dy
O x V(x)= H
dx
Δx
L/2 L/2 N(x)= H 1+ y' 2
Fy = 0= V - q(x)x
L1 L2
V dV d 2 y q(x)
 lim = = q(x) =
x0 x dx dx 2 H

Axial tension in cable, N(x)  H  1+ 1 2 y'2 

ds = dy 2 + dx 2
Elemental cable length  1 
 dx  1+ y'2 
 2 
L
 1 
Total cable length S =   1+ y' 2 dx
0
2 
Golden gate bridge, San Fransisco (1937) 14

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UDL on Horizontal Span Example 1- UDL- Unsymmetric cable

2
y B' d y q0
=
dx 2 H
A
B dy q q x
100m
@ x =0, y, y’ =0
dx  H
= 0 dx  0  C1 40m
h H 20m
q0 40m
x q x  C1 = C2 = 0 20m
O y(x)=   0  C1 dx
 H 
L/2 L/2 q x 2
q 0x 2 100m – x x
= 0  C1x + C2 y(x)=
L1 L2 2H 2H
Cable profile is parabolic

Cable supports a girder which weighs 15 kN/m. Determine the

tension in the cable at points A, B, and C. What is the total
length of the cable?

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Example 1- UDL - Solution Example 1- UDL - Solution

Consider origin of the coordinate axes at lowest point in the cable, B, At point A, coordinate x = -58.58m
where the slope is zero
dy 15
40m tan  A   x  A   53.79 
w o 2 15kN / m 2 7.5 2 dx x58.58 H
y= x  x  x 20m
2H 2H H  0.02334x
7.5 2
20 = x We know T = H/cos()
H
Assuming point C is located x from B, H  0.375x 2 58.58m 643.3
TA   1088.96kN
41.42m cos(  53.79)

Also, for point A At point B, coordinate x = 0 At point C, coordinate x = 41.42

7.5 dy dy
x 2  200x  10,000  0 tan  C   0.9657
   100  x   tan  B  0
2
40 = dx x 0 dx x  41.42
H
7.5 x   41.42m H  0.375  41.42 2  643.3kN B  0  C  44 
   100  x  
2
40 =
0.375x 2 643.3 643.3
TB   643.3kN TC   894.29kN
100  x  58.58m cos(0) cos(44)

Tension at lowest point of parabolic

Unsymmetric cable has 2 unknowns : x and H cable = horizontal tension = 643.3kN
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Example 1- UDL - Solution Example 2- UDL - Symmetric

2 2
ds = dy + dx
What if the supports are at the same elevation in the previous
Elemental cable length  1 
 dx  1+ y'2 
 2 
problem? h = 20m
L2
 1 
L2
 1  15  
2
y At lowest point, slope = 0
  1+ 2 y'   1+ 2  H x 
2
S= dx S= dx
Total cable length   Coordinate x = 0
-L 1 -L 1   A
B
7.5 2
w o 2 15kN / m 2 7.5 2 20 = x
h y= x  x  x H
2H 2H H
H  0.375x 2
Total cable length = 124.65m x
O

L/2=50 50
At A, B: H = 0.375 x 502 = 937.5kN

Symmetric cable has 1 unknown: H x is known from symmetry as L/2

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Example 2- UDL - Symmetric

But problem can also be easily solved with equilibrium because

by symmetry we already know that the lowest point is at
midspan y
A
B VA = VB= q0L/2 = 750 kN

h
Cut a section at O, and write M = 0
x
O
L  L  L   L2 
vA  q 0      H  h   q0  
L/2=50 50 2  2  4  8

 100   100 
v A .50  15     Hh 
 2  4 

H = q0(L2/8h) = 937.5 kN

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Example 1: Three-hinged suspension bridge

TA VA VB
120m TB
B
H H
A
12m Large no of closely
C spaced suspenders qo
qo MC=0 qo
A' B'
C'
240 kN 300 kN

25m 35m 20m 40m

VA' 240kN VC' VC' 300kN VB'
SFD  M B' = 0  VA'  120 + 120  60q o - 240  95 - 300  40 = 0
115 kN 150 kN
50 kN  VA' + 60q o = 290
 M C' = 0  VA'  60 + 60q o  30 - 240  35 = 0
10 kN 10m  VA' + 30q o = 140
125 kN 150 kN
VA’ = -10kN; qo = 5kN/m; VB’ = -50kN
─10 kNm ─250 kNm ─250 kNm
q 0L2 5  120 2
H=  = 750kN
8h 8  12
q L 5  120
VA = VB = 0  = 300kN
1312.5 kNm 2000 kNm 2 2
23 BMD N max = V A
2
+ H 2  = 807.77kN

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Example 2 Example 2 0.625kN 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 0.625
A A
B Determine: B
a) Horizontal tension A' B'
C'
C 8.0m b) SFD and BMD in stiffening girder A'C'B' C 8.0m
Q/2 Q/2 2.5 kN 10 kN 2.5 kN
Q Q/2 Q Q/2
2.0m 2.0m 4.375
B' Considering only Cable: B' 3.125
A' A'
C' C' 1.875
10kN VA + VB = 8Q 10kN 0.625
4x8 = 32m 4x8 = 32m
VA = VB = 4Q ─0.625 SFD
─1.875kN
 M C = 0  (VA )16 -(Q / 2)(16)- Q(12 + 8 + 4) - H(8)= 0 ─3.125
─4.375
─10 kNm
VA + VB + VB' + VA' = 10kN Q = 1.25kN Maximum cable Tension: ─7.5 kNm
─7.5 kNm
 M B = 0  (VA + VA' )32 - 10  8 = 0
VA = VB = 4  1.25= 5kN Nmax = VA 2 + H2
VA + VA' = 2.5 VB + VB' = 7.5
VA' =  2.5kN; VB' = +2.5kN; = (5.0)2 +(5.0)2 BMD
=7.017 kN 12.5 kNm
 M C' = 0  (VA + VA' )16 - H(10 - 2)= 0 12.5 kNm
30 kNm
H = 5.0kN

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Example 3: Can you solve this?

The suspension bridge is constructed using two stiffening trusses that are pin
connected at their ends C and supported by a pin and roller at A and B.
Determine the maximum tension in the cable IH. The cable profile is parabolic,
and the bridge is subjected to a single load of 50 kN.
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