MIDAS Academy
How I Design Bridges
Static Analysis of Cable-stayed Bridges
Sam Li
Senior Structural Engineer
CASE
Personal Profile
Sam Li • MEng Civil Engineering at Southeast University, China
• CEng MIStrucE, MIEAust
• 15 years of experience in Midas Civil
• 15 years of experience in bridge engineering
• Design/consultancy experience of 10+ cable-stayed bridge
including world-class projects
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www.case.internatio
nal
Level 12, suite 2, 20 Berry Street, 2060 North Sy MIDAS Academy 3
dney
Contents
• Model Summary
1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
• History of cable-stayed bridges
• Structural features
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
• Modelling of pile foundations
• Modelling of piers/pylons
• Modelling of girders
• Modelling of cables
3. Optimization of cable forces
• Key step in designing cable-stayed bridges
• Optimization criteria
• Optimization method
MIDAS Academy 4
Contents
• Model Summary
1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
• History of cable-stayed bridges
• Structural features
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
• Modelling of pile foundations
• Modelling of piers/pylons
• Modelling of girders
• Modelling of cables
3. Optimization of cable forces
• Key step in designing cable-stayed bridges
• Optimization criteria
• Optimization method
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1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
History of cable-stayed bridges
• First modern cable-stayed bridge: Stromsund bridge in Sweden, 182m span, built in 1955
• Rapidly developed since 1990s
Name Main Span (m) Completion Year Country
Russky Island Bridge 1104 2012 Russia
Hutong Yangtze River Bridge 1092 Under Construction China
Sutong Yangtze River Bridge 1088 2008 China
Stone Cutter Bridge 1018 2009 HongKong China
Qingshan Bridge 938 Under Construction China
…… …… …… ……
Anzac Bridge 345 1995 Australia
Table 1.1 world rank of cable-stayed bridge
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1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
Structural features – highly indeterminate
• Redundant DOF
Arch bridge and beam bridge : normally less than 10 redundant DOF
Suspension bridge : can be considered statically determinate under assumption
Cable-stayed bridge : redundant DOF number related to the number of cables
• Development of FEM software promoted the application of cable-stayed bridge
• Cable number changes from early to recent
Fig 1.1 Bridge types
Fig 1.2 early to recent cable stayed bridges
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1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
Structural features – activeness
• Passive structure such as beam
Once load P is determined, beam forces are fixed .
Choose beam size and reinforcement/prestress to fit beam forces
Fig 1.3 schematic of passive structure
• Active structure
With P fixed, beam forces can be changed by adjusting cable forces.
Beam forces are under control of designers
Fig 1.4 schematic of active structure
MIDAS Academy 8
Contents
• Model Summary
1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
• History of cable-stayed bridges
• Structural features
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
• Modelling of pile foundations
• Modelling of piers/pylons
• Modelling of girders
• Modelling of cables
3. Optimization of cable forces
• Key step in designing cable-stayed bridges
• Optimization criteria
• Optimization method
MIDAS Academy 9
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Common components of cable-stayed bridge
• Foundation : mainly pile foundation.
• Pylon/pier : mainly RC, some are PC or steel
• Girder : PC/steel/composite
• Cable : mainly parallel wire strands (PWS)
Pylon
Cable
Girder
Pier Foundation
Fig 2.1 common components of a cable-stayed bridge
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2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of pile foundations
• Use beam element to model piles
• How to model the soil restraint to piles?
• Vertical direction : add vertical support
• Horizontal direction : add point springs along piles
• How to calculate spring stiffness?
Fig 2.2 the application of pile foundation Fig 2.3 boundary condition of pile
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2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of pile foundations
• Winkler soil model
p=k*y
Where p: soil pressure, kPa
y: lateral deformation of pile
k: elastic modulus of soil, which is assumed to increase linearly with depth
k=m*h
Where m: coefficient of the horizontal soil reaction
h: depth of the calculation point.
Table 2.1 m values for typical soil Fig 2.4 k Value along depth
Source :Industrial Standards of the People’s Republic of China “JTG D63-2007 MIDAS Academy 12
Code for Design of Ground Base and Foundation of Highway Bridges and Culverts”
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of pile foundations
• In order to calculate spring stiffness, the effective area (a*b1) of
spring is necessary as well as modulus.
• Area = a*b1
• a is the vertical space of spring,
• b1 is the calculated width.
When d>=1.0m, b1=k*kf*(d+1)
When d<1.0m, b1=k*kf*(1.5*d+0.5)
• k is influence coefficient between piles.
When L1>=0.6h1 or single row pile, k=1.0
When L1<0.6h1, b1=b2+L1*(1-b2)/0.6/h1
Where, h1 = 3*(d+1), but less than the real embedment length
b2 is coefficient considering the number of pile rows (n),
b2=0.6 when n=2, b2=0.5 when n=3, b2=0.45 when n>=4
• Kf = 0.9 for circular pile, 1.0 for rectangle pile
Fig 2.5 the calculate width of pile
• Spring stiffness = m*h*a*b1
• “m*h” is similar to “Modulus of Subgrade Reaction” in “Surface
Spring Support” in Midas Civil
MIDAS Academy 13
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of pile foundations
• Some tips:
Normally no need to model the total pile length. 10d is long enough except in very soft soil.
Different layer may have different m value
Scouring may reduce riverbed level
Fig 2.6 Example of soil profile Fig 2.7 the scouring of pile
D. Ferraro. Effects of Pile Cap Thickness on the Maximum Scour Depth at a Complex Pier, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering,May 2013
MIDAS Academy 14
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of piers/pylons
• Use beam element to model pier, pylon and pilecap
• Connect pilecap to piles and pier/pylon by rigid links
Fig 2.9 Example of pylon and foundation
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2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of piers/pylons
Fig 2.10 connection
between pylon and
pilecap
Fig 2.11 connection
between pilecap and
tiebeam
Fig 2.12 connection
between pilecap and
piles
MIDAS Academy 16
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of girders --- fish bone model
• Fish bone : one spine connected with many pairs of ribs
• Fish bone model: spine is girder
ribs are rigid links between girder and cable lower ends
Fig 2.13 fish bone Fig 2.14 fish bone model (plan view)
Fig 2.15 Example of fish bone model
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2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
Modelling of cables
• Cable deflects under its selfweight
• Sag effect reduces cable’s support to girder
• For large span bridge, sag effect may increase displacement and forces by 10%.
• Use cable element to model cables.
Fig 2.16 cable sag effect
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Contents
• Model Summary
1. Overview of cable-stayed bridges
• History of cable-stayed bridges
• Structural features
2. Modelling method of cable-stayed bridges
• Modelling of pile foundations
• Modelling of piers/pylons
• Modelling of girders
• Modelling of cables
3. Optimization of cable forces
• Key step in designing cable-stayed bridges
• Optimization criteria
• Optimization method
MIDAS Academy 19
3. Optimization of cable forces
Key step in designing cable-stayed bridges
• Cable forces determine structural state
• Active structure requires active solution
Fig 3.1 Girder bending moment diagram (before optimization)
Fig 3.2 Girder bending moment diagram (after optimization)
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization criteria
• Four criteria
① Bearing uplift should be avoided
② Girder bending moment fluctuates around girder
③ Pylon deforms with slight inclination towards end span when completed
④ Cable forces vary evenly from near to further away from pylon
MIDAS Academy 21
3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization criteria
• Bearing uplift should be avoided
Common bearings are not designed for tension
For tension bearings, reliability and durability might be a problem
Uplift changes structural system and increases complexity
Solution: reduce cable forces ; add counterweight
Fig 3.3 bearings under compression Fig 3.4 common configuration of pot bearing
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization criteria
• Girder bending moment fluctuates around girder
Girder bending moment = global bending + local bending
Adjusting cable can not affect local bending
Optimization aims to reduce global bending moment
Solution: tension to reduce positive bending, release to reduce negative bending
Fig 3.5 Schematic of global and local bending moment of girder
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization criteria
• Pylon deforms with slight inclination towards end span when completed
Pylon should be kept as vertical as possible in operation period
Quasi-permanent load combination to be considered
Typically vehicle load inclines pylon towards middle span more than end span
Solution: tension cables on end span
Fig 3.6 Deformation under vehicle load
Fig 3.7 Deformation when construction completed
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization criteria
• Cable forces vary evenly from near to further away from pylon
Cable force = Vertical component of cable force / sin(a)
Vertical component of cable forces are similar when segment weight kept constant
Cable force increases with a decreasing
Cable at anchor pier, and the closest to pylon, may be an exceptions.
Solution: adjusting cable force, notice the interaction among cables.
Tension
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
S14 S12 S10 S8 S6 S4 S2 M1 M3 M5 M7 M9 M11 M13
Fig 3.8 Evenly varying cable forces
MIDAS Academy 25
3. Optimization of cable forces
Construction method
• For large span cable stayed bridge, balanced cantilever method is widely adopted
• It is recommended to consider construction stages during calculation
Concept/preliminary design : one stage for each segment
Detail/construction calculation : 3 or 4 stages for each segment
• In some cases only requiring rough calculation, it might be acceptable not to consider stage analysis
Typical erection stages for each segment
① Erect girders symmetrically
② Install and tension cables
③ Move crane forwards
Fig 3.9 One application of balanced cantilever method MIDAS Academy 26
3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method
• This is a well studied topic and there are dozens of optimization methods
• Engineer’s observation is essential during the optimization
Method Pros Cons Note
Stiff cable Relatively quite simple and easy. doesn’t consider pylon nor cables; The result can be initial
doesn’t include nonlinear behavior; cable forces of other
Normally the cable forces need further methods.
refinement.
Unit load considers all components of a bit time-consuming because it Built-in tools in Midas
bridge. requires iterations and modifying Civil can help engineers
considers nonlinear behavior. influence matrix. save considerable time.
helps understanding cable
effects on the structure.
Tab 3.1 Two practical methods of cable optimization
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- stiff cable method
• The stiffer the cables are, the stronger the supports and the less global bending
• Steps:
• Create model as normal analysis, no need to input cable forces
• Increase cable elastic modulus to a large value such as 2E8 MPa
• Run analysis
• Extract cable forces at the last construction stage
• Observe the result, negative cable force and excessive cable force need to be adjusted manually.
• This method is normally intended to give initial cable forces for other methods
Fig 3.10 cable force result of stiff cable method
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
• ULM is similar to matrix stiffness method in structural mechanics
n : the number of DOF(degree of freedom)
Vector F : nodal force, representing external forces
Vector δ: nodal deformation, unknown variables.
Matrix K : stiffness matrix, kij is the Fi caused by one unit of δj.
Fig 3.11 basic equation of matrix stiffness method
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
• In ULM
n : the number of cable pretension forces
Vector F : constrains, such as bending moment or deflection
Vector δ: cable force factors.
Matrix K : influence matrix, kij is the Fi caused by one unit cable force of δj.
Fig 3.12 basic equation of ULM
Example 1: Example 2:
1kN cable causes 10mm deflection at beam end 1kN in C1 causes 10mm deflection at N1 and 15mm at N2
How much cable force is required to make 1kN in C2 causes 15mm deflection at N1 and 25mm at N2
deflection 20mm? How much cable force is required to make the deflection at
K=10mm/kN, F=20mm, so δ =2 N1 40mm and at N2 65mm?
MIDAS Academy 30
3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
• Dimension of vector/matrix n
Vector dimension equals the number of cable pretension forces
Fig 3.13 schematic Elevation of one cable-stayed bridge
Fig 3.14 Cross section of one cable-stayed bridge MIDAS Academy 31
3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
• Vector F
Can be a certain number , or a range
In theory can be any force/deformation/reaction at any point
Normally, F is set to be bending moment or deflection of girder
• Vector δ
The factor of unit load
One unit can be any value
Vector dimension equals the number of pairs of cables
1kN cable causes 10mm deflection at beam end
How much cable force is required to make the deflection 20mm?
If 1kN is set as one unit load, K=10, so δ =2
If 2kN is set as one unit load, K=20, so δ =1
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
• Influence matrix K
The core of ULM
Helps improve engineer’s understanding of cable force effect
• One example:
Fig 3.15 The 8th cables in the middle span
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
Fig 3.16 Deformation under the 8th cable in the middle span
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
Fig 3.17 Bending moment under the 8th cable in the middle span
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
Fig 3.18 Cable forces under the 8th cable in the middle span
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3. Optimization of cable forces
Optimization method --- unit load method
• Nonlinear behaviour mainly comes from nonlinear geometry, material
• Similar to secant line method
Step 1: assume cable force, run analysis,
Step 2: get influence matrix K
Step 3: Work out δ by F=K* δ
Step 4: Change cable force as δ* “unit load“ in the model,
Step 5: run analysis, if F is within tolerance, quit iteration, otherwise repeat step 2 to 5
Fig 3.19 schematic iteration considering nonlinear behaviour
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Thank you!
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