DESIGN PROCEDURE OF STAY CABLES FOR DIFFERENT BRIDGE CONFIGURATIONS

Abstract

Cable stayed bridges are considered one of the preferred structural systems used for bridges that covers large spans due to their economical and aesthetic values. In this system, the bridge deck is supported by cables that are subjected to pre-tensioning force and hence, it reduces the free span of the bridge deck. The optimum post-tensioning cable forces design is governed by several factors including the bridge span, the bridge type, and the pylon height. In this study the design procedure of cable stayed bridges using the analysis program CSI Bridge is illustrated. The procedure also includes the staged construction analysis process, since large deflections occur in bridge deck at the cantilever segments during construction. The proposed analysis procedure is verified against the design values of the existing Kigamboni cable stayed bridge located in Tanzania. Accordingly, a parametric study that consists of 36 finite element models is carried out to investigate the optimum post-tensioning cable forces for different arrangements with variation in spans and height of pylon.