ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The cables on cable-stayed bridges can fail due to vehicle collision, explosion, and excessive corrosion of the strands which may enhance the vulnerability of this structure, leading to progressive collapse. The structural response of cable-stayed bridges will differ when a combination of factors such as corrosion and extreme events leads to the loss of the cable(s) as will opposure to extreme events occurring with no corrosion present. In existing cable-stayed bridges, corrosion may affect the stays which will decrease bridge performance compared to that of the new structure. Varying the extent of corrosion critical locations, the response of a cable-stayed traffic bridge is analyzed, for different loading combinations, using three dimensional non-linear dynamic analysis. The results show that a cable subjected to 30% or more corrosion before blast will have a significant effect on other cables with no corrosion. The presence of corrosion in a lost cable causes the cables close to it and the nearest backstay to exceed the design limiting stress.
