An approximation to the study of suspension bridge behaviour

Abstract

The suspension bridge structural behaviour is presented in this paper. First, the governing equations are introduced and are presented in dimensionless form so that thebehaviour governing parameters can be identified. Some expressions are given to obtain vertical movements, bending movements, vibration frequencies and flutter velocities. In the second part of the paper, an explicit stiffness matrix for a parbolic cable under the action of vertical loads is presented. Finally, the proposed numérical formulation is applied to the determination of some non-dimensional charges for a single span suspended bridge. This charges can be useful in the behaviour understanding of these structures and in the first phase of design.