University of Engineering & Technology
Peshawar, Pakistan
CE215: Structure Analysis I
Module 06b:
Analysis of Cables
By:
Prof. Dr. Bashir Alam/ Dr. M. Ashraf
Civil Engineering Department
UET , Peshawar
Introduction
• Cables is a tension member and are often used in engineering
structures for support and to transmit loads from one member to
another.
• Cables used to support suspension roofs, bridges, and trolley wheels,
cables form the main load-carrying element in the structure.
• In the force analysis of such systems, the weight of the cable itself
may be neglected; however, when cables are used as guys for radio
antennas, electrical transmission lines, and derricks, the cable weight
may become important and must be included in the structural
analysis.
Introduction (Cont..)
Cables are mostly used in long span bridges.
Suspension Bridge Cable Stayed Bridge
Introduction (Cont..)
Hanger Tower
Cable
Cable
Anchorage Road Way
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Cable Analysis
• There are two cases to be considered in the cable analysis. Cables
subjected to:
1. Concentrated Loads
2. Distributed Load.
• Provided these loadings are coplanar with the cable, the
requirements for equilibrium are formulated in an identical
manner.
Cable Analysis (Cont..)
• When deriving the necessary relations between the force in the
cable and its slope, we will make the assumption that the cable is
perfectly flexible and inextensible.
• Due to its flexibility, the cable offers no resistance to shear or
bending and, therefore, the force acting in the cable is always
tangent to the cable at points along its length.
Cable Analysis (Cont..)
• Being inextensible, the cable has a constant length both before and
after the load is applied.
• As a result, once the load is applied, the geometry of the cable
remains fixed, and the cable or a segment of it can be treated as a
rigid body.
Cables: Concentrated Loads
When a cable of negligible weight supports several concentrated
loads, the cable takes the form of several straight-line segments, each
of which is subjected to a constant tensile force.
A
q
D
yB
yC
B
C
P1
P2
L1 L2 L3
L
Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
• To determine the nine unknowns consisting of the tension in each
of the three segments, the four components of reaction at A and D,
and the sags yB and yC at the two points B and C.
• For the solution we can write two equations of force equilibrium at
each of points A, B, C, and D. This results in a total of eight
equations.
• To complete the solution, it will be necessary to know something
about the geometry of the cable in order to obtain the necessary
ninth equation.
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
For example, if the cable’s total length is specified, then the
Pythagorean theorem can be used to relate to each of the three
segmental lengths, written in terms of u, yC, yD, L1, L2
and L3.
Unfortunately, this type of problem cannot be solved easily by hand.
A
q
D
yC
yD
B
C
P1
P2
L1 L2 L3
L
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
• Another possibility, however, is to specify one of the sags, either Yc
or yD, instead of the cable length.
• By doing this, the equilibrium equations are then sufficient for
obtaining the unknown forces and the remaining sag.
• Once the sag at each point of loading is obtained, total length can
then be determined by trigonometry.
A
q
D
yC
yD
B
P1 C
P2
L1 L2 L3
L
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
When performing an equilibrium analysis for a problem of this type,
the forces in the cable can also be obtained by writing the equations
of equilibrium for the entire cable or any portion thereof.
A
q
D
yC
yD
B
C
P1 P2
L1 L2 L3
L
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
Example 01: Determine the tension in each segment of the cable
shown in Figure. Also, what is the dimension h?
2m
h D
B
C 2m
3 kN
8 kN
2m 2m 1.5 m
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
Example 01: Solution:
• 4 unknown external reactions (Ax, Ay, Dx and Dy)
• 3 unknown cable tensions
A
• 1 geometrical unknown h 2m
h D
B
• 8 unknowns 2m
C
• 8 equilibrium equations
3 kN
8 kN
(two at each joint)
2m 2m 1.5 m
• So cable is statically determinate
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
Example 01: Solution:
Ay
Ax A
TCD
5 4 2m
h D
B 3
C
3 kN
8 kN
2m 2m 1.5 m
+ SMA = 0:
TCD(3/5)(2 m) + TCD(4/5)(5.5 m) - 3kN(2 m) - 8 kN(4 m) = 0
TCD = 6.79 kN
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
Example 01: Solution:
y y
Joint C: Joint B:
TBA
TCD = 6.79 kN
TCB C 5 4 qBA B 32.3o
x x
qBC 3
TBC = 4.82 kN
8 kN
3 kN
+ SF = 0: 6.79(3/5) - TCB cos qBC = 0 + SF = 0: - TBA cos qBA + 4.82cos 32.3o = 0
x x
+ SFy = 0: 6.79(4/5) - 8 + TCB sin qBC = 0 + SFy = 0: TBA sin qBA - 4.82sin 32.3o -3 = 0
Solving both equations simultaneously Solving both equations simultaneously
qBC = 32.3o TCB = 4.82 kN qBA = 53.8o TBA = 6.90 kN
h = 2tanqBA = 2tan53.8o = 2.74 m
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
Example 02: Determine the tension in each segment of the cable
A B
shown in Figure.
3’
C D
5k 5k
3’ 4’ 3’
Static Indeterminacy:
• 4 unknown external reactions (Ax, Ay, Bx and By)
• 3 unknown cable tensions
• 7 unknowns
• 8 equilibrium equations (two at each joint)
• So cable is statically determinate
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
A B
Example 02:
3’
Solution: C D
5k 5k
For whole structure 3’ 4’ 3’
σ MB= 0 ⇒ Ay*10 – 5*7 – 5*3 = 0 ⇒ Ay= 5 k
σ FY= 0 ⇒ Ay + By = 10k ⇒ By = 5k AY
AX A
For Joint A,
A qAC=45O
σ F𝑌= 0 ⇒ TAC sin45 = AY = 5 ⇒ TAC = 7.07k
TAC
σ F𝑋 = 0 ⇒ AX = TAC cos45 = 7.07 * 0.707 = 5 k
Again for whole structure
σ F𝑋 = 0 ⇒ BX = AX = 5 k
Cables: Concentrated Loads (Cont..)
Example 02: Solution:
Joint C: y
TCA
TCD
45 x
C
5 kN
σ F𝑦 = 0
TAC sin45 = 5 ⇒ TAC = 7.07 k
TAC Cos45 – TCD = 0 ⇒ TCD = 5k
Cables: UDL
Cables provide a very effective means of supporting the dead weight
of girders or bridge decks having very long spans.
A suspension bridge is a typical example, in which the deck is
suspended from the cable using a series of close and equally spaced
hangers.
Cables: UDL
Cable Profile
dx
Cables: UDL
Cable Profile:
O
Appling equilibrium equations:
ΣFX = 0
⇒ Tcosq - (T + dT) cos(q + dq) = 0
⇒ Tcosθ – (T + dT)(cosθ . cos dθ – sinθ . sin dθ) = 0
⇒ Tcosθ – (T + dT)(cosθ . 1 – sinθ . 0) = 0
⇒ Tcosθ – (T + dT)(cosθ )= 0 ⇒ dT cosθ = 0
𝑑𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
⇒ = 0 ----(1)
𝑑𝑥
Cables: UDL
Cable Profile:
O
Appling equilibrium equations:
ΣFy = 0
⇒ Tsinq + wdx - (T + dT) sin(q + dq) = 0
⇒ Tsinθ + wdx – (T + dT)(sinθ . cos dθ + cosθ . sin dθ) = 0
⇒ Tsinθ + wdx – (T + dT)(sinθ . 1 + cosθ . 0) = 0
⇒ Tsinθ + wdx – (T + dT)(sinθ )= 0 ⇒ wdx - dT sinθ = 0
𝑑𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
⇒ = 𝑤 ----(2)
𝑑𝑥
Cables: UDL
Cable Profile:
O
Appling equilibrium equations:
ΣMO = 0
⇒ Tsinθ dx –Tcosθ dy + wdx (dx/2) = 0
⇒ Tsinθdx –Tcosθ dy+ 0 = 0
⇒ Tsinθdx = Tcosθ dy
𝑑𝑦
⇒ = 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 ----(3)
𝑑𝑥
Cables: UDL
Cable Profile:
𝑑𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
= 0 ⇒ T cosθ = FH ------------- (a)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
= 𝑤 ⇒ T sinθ = w x ------------ (b)
𝑑𝑥
Dividing equations (a) by (b)
dy/dx = Tan θ = w x /FH---------------- (c)
𝑤
Integrating equation (c) ⇒ 𝑦 = 𝑥2 + 𝐶
2𝐹𝐻
At x = 0, y = 0 ⇒ C = 0
𝑤
Therefore, 𝑦= 𝑥2 is the equation of cable
2𝐹𝐻
Cables: UDL
Horizontal Force in Cable:
The equation of cable is:
𝑤
𝑦= 𝑥 2 ---------------------------- (A)
2𝐹𝐻
At x = -L1, y = h1, and at x = L2, y = h2
𝑤 2 𝑤 𝐿1 2 𝑤 𝐿2 2
Therefore: ℎ1 = −𝐿1 ⇒ 𝐹𝐻 = =
2𝐹𝐻 2 ℎ1 2 ℎ2
Putting value of FH in Eq. (A)
ℎ1 ℎ2
𝑦= 𝑥2 = 𝑥 2 ------------ (B)
𝐿1 2 𝐿2 2
is the equation of parabola
Cables: UDL
Maximum Tension in Cable:
Tension in cable is given by:
𝑇= 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 2 + 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 2 = 𝐹𝐻 2 + 𝑤𝑥 2
Maximum tension occurs where x is maximum, i.e. x = L2
𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐹𝐻 2 + 𝑤 𝐿2 2
𝑤 𝐿2 2 2
𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 = + 𝑤 𝐿2 2
2ℎ2
Cables: UDL
Supports at Same Level:
Equation of Cable:
4ℎ
𝑦= 𝑥 2 ---------------------- (a)
𝐿 2
Horizontal component of Tension:
𝑤 𝐿 2
𝐹𝐻 = ----------- ------------(b)
8ℎ
Maximum tension in cable:
𝑤 𝐿 2 2 𝑤𝐿 2
𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 = + ----(c)
8ℎ 2
Cables: UDL (Cont..)
Example 01: Determine the maximum and minimum tension in cable
shown below.
Cables: UDL (Cont..)
Example 04: Solution
Tmin = FH = wL2/8h = 16 (20)2/(8 *2) = 400 kN
2 𝑤𝐿 2 2 16 𝑥 20 2
𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐹𝐻 + = 400 + =431 kN
2 2
Cables: UDL (Cont..)
Example 5-2:
The cable shown supports a girder which weighs 850 lb/ft. Determine
the tension in the cable at points A, B, and C.
Cables: UDL (Cont..)
Example 5-2:
Cables: UDL (Cont..)
Example 5-2:
𝑇= 𝐹𝐻 2 + 𝑤𝑥 2
2 2
𝑇𝐴 = 36.46 + 0.85 ∗ −58.58
𝑇𝐴 = 61.7 𝑘
Cables: UDL (Cont..)
Example 5-2:
𝑇= 𝐹𝐻 2 + 𝑤𝑥 2
2 2
𝑇𝐶 = 36.46 + 0.85 ∗ 41.42
𝑇𝐶 = 50.7 𝑘
Cables Supports
Support Conditions
• Pully Arrangement
• Saddle Arrangement
Suspension Bridge
