General Information
Figure 1 shows a suspension bridge that is used by motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.
| Type | Single-span suspension bridge |
| Main span | ≅ 75 m |
| Deck width | ≅ 2 m |
| Deck width to main span ratio | ≅ 1:36 |
| Pylon | Reinforced concrete (H-shaped) |
| Girder | Steel truss |
Hangers and Hangers Connections
The hangers consist of alternately arranged steel wire ropes and steel rods, as shown in figure 2.
The connections to the main cable are shown in figure 3.
The hanger rod is connected to the main cable by a U-bolt clamp and a cable band, while the hanger cable is connected by a U-bolt clamp and a plate, which is placed over the main cable.
What are some possible reasons for using two different connection types?
The connections to the girder are shown in figure 4.
The hanger cable is connected to the gusset plate of the bottom chord node by an L-plate and an eye bolt, while the hanger rod is connected to the gusset plate of the upper chord node by an L-plate and a bolt and washer.
How does the L-plate behave when subjected to bending fatigue?
Pylons' Back Stay Cables
Figure 5 shows a pylon.
Besides the main cables, each pylon is connected to two sagging backstay cables. Figure 6 shows the backstay to pylon anchorage.
The pylon anchorage consists of two U-brackets and a vertically arranged U-bar. The horizontal brace bears the U-bar, which is welded to the U-bracket. Figure 7 shows the ground anchorage.
The backstay is anchored at the closed bridge sockets of the main cable by a turnbuckle and an additional cable, which is looped once around the socket and fixed with U-bolt clamps.