ABSTRACT
The bending stresses induced in parallel wire suspension bridge cables at cable bands are correlated to the forces in the suspenders. The ratio between the bending stress and the total stress in the cable wires is presented as a function of the ratio between the forces in the suspenders and the tension in the main cables. The forces induced by dead and live loads in the suspenders and in the main cables of suspension bridges are critically important design and performance parameters, modeled analytically and, to the extent possible, measured in the field. Using these established parameters, the present method estimates the magnitudes of secondary stresses at cable bands for existing structures. The extreme cases of fully restrained and free wire slippage are considered. Numerical examples reveal consistent trends.
