Statics and dynamics of suspension bridges with notes on suspension cables and nets

A historical review of the construction and erection of suspension bridges, and of the literature on them, is presented. Suspension bridges are of ten analysed as plane structures, as if a bridge has only one cable supporting a narrow deck with no torsional stiffness and no torsional stresses. The statics and dynamics of a laboratory model of such a single cable bridge are investigated both experimentally and analytically, followed by a short chapter on the dynamics of suspension cables and nets . A real suspension bridge has usually two or more cables supporting a deck with some width and some torsional stiffness, and undergoes torsion . A laboratory model for a two-cable bridge was designed and built. A method for the static analysis of such a two-cable bridge is derived and used for both the static and dynamic analyses of the model. Measurements of the static deflections and natural frequencies and modes of vibration of the model showed good agreement with calculations. A chapter comprising some notes on the aerodynamic instability of suspension bridges is also included.