CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS OF STATICALLY DETERMINATE CABLES

What is cable? - Cable is a tensile structure carrying only tension and no compression or bending. - Cable is used in engineering structures for support and to transmit loads from one member to another. - Always used to support suspension roofs, bridges and trolley wheels. - In the force analysis, 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. - the cable is perfectly flexible and inextensible. Flexible cable offers no resistance to shear or bending. Inextensible cable has constant length both before and after the load is applied and geometry of the cable remains fixed. -They are 3 cases will be considered in the cable system: 1. A cable subjected to concentrated loads. -same level of support -different level of support 2. A cable subjected to a uniformly distributed load. -same level of support -different level of support 3. A cable subjected to the combination of both concentrated and uniformly distributed load Example:

P Figure 1: A cable subjected to a concentrated load supported at same level.

P Figure 2: A cable subjected to 3 concentrated loads supported at different level.

Figure 3: A cable subjected to a uniformly distributed load supported at same level. Length of cable 1. Cable loaded with concentrated load (supported at same and different level) E w
A B C P P P D

S = length of segment AB + length of segment BC + length of segment CD + length of segment EF

2. Cable loaded with a uniformly distributed load supported at same level.

A h

S = L + 8h2 C 3L where,

L = Horizontal span between 2 supports h = Vertical distance from theLsupports A & B to the lowest point, C

3. Cable loaded with a uniformly distributed load supported at different level.

A d1 C S = l1 + l2 + 2d12 + 2d22 w 3 l1 3 l2

d2

l1

l2

Cable loaded with a uniformly distributed load supported at same level.

HA

HB

Reaction for WL subjected to UDL and supported at same level are: cable WL
2 2

i) Vertical reactive forces at the support: V A = WL V B = WL C W 2 2 ii) Horizontal force in the cable at the midspan section: HC = WL2 L 8h iii) Vertical force in the cable at the midspan section: VC = WL - Wx 2 iv) Tensile force, T in the cable at C: T2 = HC2 + VC2
2 C 2 2 2 C 2

HA

T = H +V = WL + WL - Wx 8h 2

WL 2
C

HC
T

Note: Maximum tensile force in the cable occurs at x=0 (at support) X = L Tmax = WL2 2 + WL 2 2 8h 2 Minimum tensile force in the cable occurs at x=L/2 (at the lowest point) Tmin = WL2 2 + 0 = H B 8h HB Cable loaded with a uniformly distributed load supported at different level.

VC

HA

VB d1
C w

d2

VA

4 l1 l2

+ Fy = 0, VA + VB wL = 0 VA + VB = wL + Fx = 0, -HA + HB = 0 HA = HB

------------------------ (1) ------------------------ (2)

LEFT + Fy = 0, VA wl1 = 0 VA = wl1 + Fx = 0, -HA + HC = 0 HA = HC --------------- (3)

--------------- (4)
HA
A

+ MA = 0, - HC(d1) + wl1 l1 = 0 2 2 HC = wl1 2d1 HA = wl12 --------------- (5) 2d1

d1 VA
C

HC
T B

l1

VC=0

HB

RIGHT + Fy = 0, VB wl2 = 0 VA = wl2 + Fx = 0, -HC + HB = 0 HB = HC

d2

VB

--------------- (6) --------------- (7)

HC
T C

VC=0

l2

+ MB = 0, HC(d2) wl2 l2 2 2 HC = wl2 2d2 HB = wl22 2d2

=0

--------------- (8)

HC ( LEFT ) = HC ( RIGHT ) wl12 = wl22 2d1 2d2 2 wl1 = 2d1 wl22 2d2 2 l1 = d1 l22 d2 l1 = d1 l2 d2

Clifton Bridge, Bristol, UK

Munich Olympic Stadium, Germany