SUSPENSION BRIDGES

Suspension Bridge
Deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical
suspenders
Usually has two towers that hold up the horizontal
cables.
From these main horizontal cables hang vertical cables
that are attached to the deck of the bridge
Used for the longest spans.

Suspension Bridge- Parts

Cables- suspend the roadway (tension)
Towers- stabilize wire cables (compression)
Anchorages- key to the structure, mass that keeps
cables tight, gives the bridge structure

Suspension Bridge

With anchorages

Without anchorages

Suspension Bridge-

Structural Analysis

The main forces are tension in the cables and

compression in the pillars.
Since almost all the force on the pillars is vertically
downwards and they are also stabilized by the main
cables, the pillars can be made quite slender.

Suspension Bridge-

Structural Analysis

Cables suspended via towers hold up the road

deck. The weight is transferred by the cables to the
towers, which in turn transfers the weight to the
ground. This is a type of bridge that is able to stretch
to extreme lengths and becapable of lasting a very
long time.
It is suspended in the air, is able to withstand
natural disasters such as earthquakes or tornadoes
better than another type of bridge.

Suspension Bridge- History

Early suspension bridges - simple and crude with a
narrow walkway that was suspended from chains or
rope.
Used in the 7th century by the Mayans, and later in
China and Tibet.
However these theories werent proved, the first
suspension bridge design was drawn by Faust Vrancic
in his book Machinae Nove in 1595.

Suspension Bridge- Types

Simple Suspension Bridge
It is the oldest type of suspension bridge, usually
constructed as a foot bridge. In this type a flexible deck is
provided which is supported by the cables anchored to the
earth.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Suspension Bridge - Types

Under spanned suspension bridge
the main cables hang entirely below the bridge deck, but
are still anchored into the ground in a similar way to the
conventional type

Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge, New York

Suspension Bridge
Stressed Ribbon Bridges
A modern descendant of the simple suspension bridge.
The deck lies on the main cables, but is stiff, not
flexible.

Maldonado Bridge, Uruguay

Suspension Bridges- Advantages

-They can span longer distances than any other type

of bridge.
- They require less material to build, resulting in
reduced construction cost.
- Dont have to shut down a waterway in order to
build the bridge.
-They can withstand earthquakes better than stiff
conventional bridges.

Suspension Bridges - Disadvantages

-Road deck can vibrate and even twist is high

winds.
-The road deck lacks the stiffness required to
carry heavy railroad traffic.
- Some areas of the bridge are difficult to install
and maintain.

Suspension Bridges
The Great Belt Bridge, Denmark

The Akashi-Kaikyo bridge in

Japan
The longest bridge in the world
- 6529 feet long.

Suspension Bridges
Humber Bridge, United Kingdom

Mackinac Bridge, USA

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