Cable Stayed Bridges: From Concept to Performance-Based Design

Cable stayed bridges are seen as the alternative that fills the gap between long span bridges and suspension bridges. During the 1980s, several types of construction of cable stayed bridges such as steel, segmental concrete, composite steel and concrete superstructures emerged in different countries. The great evolution in computational methods, materials, and methods of construction has contributed to the tremendous development in state of the art cable stayed bridges in the past two decades. With spans that exceed one thousand meters, cable stayed bridges are now becoming a substitute for suspension bridges. This book outlines the development in the design of cable stayed bridges. Rigorous methods of analysis are presented. Simplified methods that lead to preliminary estimation of forces in major members for design are discussed. The book first reviews the evolution of this type of bridge, with focus on the vast development during the past twenty years. The book then discusses the basic principles of cable stayed bridges, related to aspects of analysis, design, construction, and maintenance. Specific issues such as aerodynamic stability of the bridges and different methods of testing and analysis required for this purpose are explained. Cable vibration problems are summarized and methods of its control are outlined. Special attention is given to the performance-based design method and one chapter is devoted towards explanation of the merits of this trend in design. Application of the method to the seismic and fire safety designs of cable stayed bridges is also covered.