weight

Tension at per unit half of

length center
Max Cable Bridge of deck span Height (H) of Towers Abo
Tension Midspan half length The lowest point on the cable
(MN) (MN) To2 w/2 L/2 (w/2)2 H
Enter H
257 235 152 here
M ain C ab le Heig h t (m)

GGB Main Cable

250.0

200.0

150.0

100.0

50.0

0.0
0 320 640
Distance along span (m)

Instructions:
The main cable shape is approximated by a parabola, though the actual shape is a hyperbola.
1) Enter a tower height between 50 m and 250 m into the green cell. Values outside that ran
2) The orange shell indicates the actual tower height used. It only differs from the green if v
3) The left plot shows the shape of the cable between the north and south tow
4) The center plot (pink) shows the maximum tension in the cable (at the tower
5) The right plot (blue) shows the minimum tension in the cable (at the bridge midspan).
6) The "Cable Shape" worksheet shows the calculations.
t (H) of Towers Above Deck (50 m H 250 m)
west point on the cable is 8 m above the bridge deck

Height
152 Used

Maximum Cable Tension (MN) MidSpan Cable Tension (MN)

700 700

600 600

500 500

400 400

300 300

200 200

100 100

960 1280 0 0
an (m)

shape is a hyperbola.
l. Values outside that range will not be used.
iffers from the green if values outside the range are ent

the bridge midspan).

pan Cable Tension (MN)

Developed by Thalia Anagnos

San Jose State University
 half deck
tension at weight per half of main
bridge max tension unit length span length
Cable Shape midspan (MN) (towers) MN (kN/m) (m)
distance cable
from tower height
X (m) Y (m) To Tmax w/2 L/2
0 152.0 234.7 257.3 0.165 640
5 149.8 135.2 171.5 0.165 640
10 147.5 150.2 183.6 0.165 640
15 145.3 169.0 199.2 0.165 640
20 143.1 193.1 220.1 0.165 640
25 141.0 225.3 248.8 0.165 640
30 138.8 234.7 257.3 0.165 640
35 136.7 270.3 290.2 0.165 640
40 134.6 337.9 354.0 0.165 640
45 132.5 422.4 435.4 0.165 640
50 130.4 482.7 494.2 0.165 640
55 128.3 563.2 573.0 0.165 640
60 126.3 675.8 684.0 0.165 640
65 124.2 804.6 811.5 0.165 640
70 122.2
75 120.2
80 118.3
85 116.3
90 114.3
95 112.4
100 110.5
105 108.6
110 106.8
115 104.9
120 103.1
125 101.2
130 99.4
135 97.7
140 95.9
145 94.1
150 92.4
155 90.7
160 89.0
160.001 89.0
165 87.3
170 85.7
175 84.0
180 82.4
185 80.8
190 79.2
195 77.6
200 76.1
 205 74.5
210 73.0
215 71.5
220 70.0
225 68.5
230 67.1
235 65.7
240 64.3
245 62.9
250 61.5
255 60.1
260 58.8
265 57.4
270 56.1
275 54.8
280 53.6
285 52.3
290 51.1
295 49.8
300 48.6
305 47.5
310 46.3
315 45.1
320 44.0
320.001 44.0
325 42.9
330 41.8
335 40.7
340 39.6
345 38.6
350 37.6
355 36.6
360 35.6
365 34.6
370 33.6
375 32.7
380 31.8
385 30.9
390 30.0
395 29.1
400 28.3
405 27.4
410 26.6
415 25.8
420 25.0
425 24.3
430 23.5
435 22.8
440 22.1
445 21.4
 450 20.7
455 20.0
460 19.4
465 18.8
470 18.2
475 17.6
480 17.0
480.001 17.0
485 16.4
490 15.9
495 15.4
500 14.9
505 14.4
510 13.9
515 13.5
520 13.1
525 12.6
530 12.3
535 11.9
540 11.5
545 11.2
550 10.8
555 10.5
560 10.3
565 10.0
570 9.7
575 9.5
580 9.3
585 9.1
590 8.9
595 8.7
600 8.6
605 8.4
610 8.3
615 8.2
620 8.1
625 8.1
630 8.0
635 8.0
640 8.0
645 8.0
650 8.0
655 8.1
660 8.1
665 8.2
670 8.3
675 8.4
680 8.6
685 8.7
690 8.9
695 9.1
700 9.3
705 9.5
710 9.7
715 10.0
720 10.3
725 10.5
730 10.8
735 11.2
740 11.5
745 11.9
750 12.3
755 12.6
760 13.1
765 13.5
770 13.9
775 14.4
780 14.9
785 15.4
790 15.9
795 16.4
800 17.0
805 17.6
810 18.2
815 18.8
820 19.4
825 20.0
830 20.7
835 21.4
840 22.1
845 22.8
850 23.5
855 24.3
860 25.0
865 25.8
870 26.6
875 27.4
880 28.3
885 29.1
890 30.0
895 30.9
900 31.8
905 32.7
910 33.6
915 34.6
920 35.6
925 36.6
930 37.6
935 38.6
940 39.6
 945 40.7
950 41.8
955 42.9
960 44.0
965 45.1
970 46.3
975 47.5
980 48.6
985 49.8
990 51.1
995 52.3
1000 53.6
1005 54.8
1010 56.1
1015 57.4
1020 58.8
1025 60.1
1030 61.5
1035 62.9
1040 64.3
1045 65.7
1050 67.1
1055 68.5
1060 70.0
1065 71.5
1070 73.0
1075 74.5
1080 76.1
1085 77.6
1090 79.2
1095 80.8
1100 82.4
1105 84.0
1110 85.7
1115 87.3
1120 89.0
1125 90.7
1130 92.4
1135 94.1
1140 95.9
1145 97.7
1150 99.4
1155 101.2
1160 103.1
1165 104.9
1170 106.8
1175 108.6
1180 110.5
1185 112.4
1190 114.3
1195 116.3
1200 118.3
1205 120.2
1210 122.2
1215 124.2
1220 126.3
1225 128.3
1230 130.4
1235 132.5
1240 134.6
1245 136.7
1250 138.8
1255 141.0
1260 143.1
1265 145.3
1270 147.5
1275 149.8
1280 152.0
sag (m)

Ytower -
Ymidspan
144 Current Calculated Value
250 Other Values
225
200
175
150
144 Actual GGB Sag (Tower Height = 152 m)
125
100
80
70
60
50
42