ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Main cable dehumidification was first applied to the new Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan. Since its inception, it has been successfully adapted as a main-cable preservation strategy for existing bridges. Cable dehumidification actively controls the relative humidity within the cable microenvironment and removes moisture, the principle cause for wire corrosion and the reduction in cable reliability. Dehumidification offers a cost-competitive and effective alternative to previous cable management strategies such as painting, wrapping or oiling. It has been demonstrated that this preservation strategy not only successfully removes the trapped moisture within the cable, but also reduces cumulative wire breaks over time. Main cable dehumidification has recently been implemented on the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge in Stevensville, Maryland, the first main cable dehumidification project in the United States, and is under evaluation on other US suspension bridges.
