Chapter 5:

Cables and Arches

CIVL3310 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Professor CC Chang
 Cables: Assumptions
Cable is perfectly flexible & inextensible
No resistance to shear/bending: same as
truss bar
The force acting the cable is always
tangent to the cable at points along its
length

Only axial force!

 Example 5.1 Under Concentrated
Forces

Determine the tension in each segment of the

cable. Also, what is the dimension h?
4 unknown external reactions (Ax, Ay, Dx and Dy)
3 unknown cable tensions
1 geometrical unknown h
8 unknowns
8 equilibrium conditions
 Solution
M A 0
TCD (3 / 5)( 2m ) TCD ( 4 / 5)(5.5m) 3kN ( 2m ) 8kN ( 4m ) 0
TCD 6.79kN

Joint equilibrium at C
6.79kN (3 / 5) TBC cos BC 0
6.79kN ( 4 / 5) 8kN TBC sin BC 0
BC 32.3o and TBC 4.82kN BA BC

Similarly, Joint equilibrium at B

BA 53.8o and TBA 6.90kN

Finally , h ( 2m ) tan 53.8o 2.74m

Cable subjected to a uniform distributed
load
Consider this cable under distributed vertical
load wo
The
wo cable force is not a constant.

FH Fx 0
T cos (T T ) cos( ) 0
d(T cos )
0 eqn 1
T cos T cos T cos( ) cos dx
Fy 0
T sin wo (x ) (T T ) sin( ) 0 d(T sin )
w o eqn 2
dx
With anti - clockwise as ve dy
M 0 0
tan eqn 3
dx
wo (x )(x / 2) T cos y T sin x 0
 Cable subjected to a uniform distributed
load
d(T cos )
0 eqn 1
dx
d(T sin )
w o eqn 2
dx
dy
tan eqn 3
dx Tsin
From Eqn 1 and let T = FH at x = 0: T
FH
T cos cons tan t FH eqn 4 FH

Integrating Eqn 2 realizing that Tsin = 0 at x = 0:

T sin wo x eqn 5
Eqn 5/Eqn 4:
dy wo x
tan eqn 6
dx FH
Cable subjected to a uniform distributed
load

dy wo x
tan eqn 6
dx FH FH

Performing an integration with y = 0 at x = 0

yields w y = h at x = L 2
y o 2
x eqn 7 w L
o
FH eqn 8
2 FH 2h

Cable profile: h 2
y 2 x eqn 9
parabola L
Cable subjected to a uniform distributed
load Tmax
Where and what is the max tension? max

T cos FH eqn 4

T sin wo x eqn 5
T FH 2 ( wo x ) 2
FH
T is max when x=L
Tmax FH 2 ( wo L )2 eqn 10
wo L2
FH eqn 8
2h

Tmax wo L 1 ( L / 2h )2 eqn 11
Cable subjected to a uniform
distributed load

T cos FH
T sin wo x
dy wo x
tan
dx FH T

2
wo L
FH
2h
FH
h 2
y 2
x
L

Tmax wo L 1 ( L / 2h ) 2
 Cable subjected to a uniform distributed
load
Neglect the cable weight which is uniform along the
length
x
A cable
y asubjected
cosh to its own weight will take the form of
a

a catenary curve
This curve ~ parabolic for small
Hangers sag-to-span
are close and ratio
Wiki catenary uniformly spaced

If forces in the hangers are known

then the structure can be analyzed
1 degree of indeterminacy

Determinate structure

hinge
 Example 5.2
The cable supports a girder which weighs 12kN/m.
Determine the tension in the cable at points A, B & C.

12kN/m
 Solution
The origin of the coordinate axes is established at point B,
the lowest point on the cable where slope is zero,
wo 2 12kN/m 2 6 2
y x x x (1) 0.0389 x 2
2 FH 2 FH FH
Assuming point C is located x from B:
6 2
6 x' FH 1.0 x' 2 (2) 154.4kN FH
FH

From B to A:
6
12 [(30 x' )]2
FH
6 2
12 [ (30 x ' )]
1 .0 x ' 2 FH
x' 2 60 x'900 0 x' 12.43m
Solution
TA T cos FH
y 0.0389 x 2 A
TC

dy FH=154.4kN
tan 0.0777 x
dx
17.57m 12.43m

dy dy
tan C 0.966 tan A 1.366
dx x 12.43 dx x 17.57

C 44.0o A 53.79o
FH 154.4 FH
TC 214.6kN TA 261.4kN
cos C cos 44.0 o
cos A
Example 5.3
Determine the max tension in the cable
IH
Assume the cable is parabolic
(under uniformly distributed load)

M C 0 I y Ay 0.667 FH
FH 28.13 kN

M B 0 I y Ay 18.75
Example 5.3

FH 28.13 kN
wo L2
FH
2h
wo 3.13 kN / m

Tmax wo L 1 ( L / 2h )2 46.9 kN
 Cable and Arch

FH

flip
FH

What if the load direction reverses?

Arches
An arch acts as inverted cable so it receives
compression
An arch must also resist bending and shear
depending upon how it is loaded & shaped
Arches
Types of arches
indeterminate

indeterminate

indeterminate
determinate
Three-Hinged Arch

Bx
Ax
By
Ay
 Problem 5-30
Determine reactions at A and C and the
cable force
3 global Eqs
1 hinge condition

Ax

Ay Bx
By
Cy

T
Ax

Ay
 Example 5.4
The three-hinged arch bridge has a parabolic shape and
supports the uniform load. Assume the load is uniformly
transmitted to the arch ribs.
Show that the parabolic arch is subjected only to axial
compression at an intermediate point such as point D.
 Solution
y

8 kN/m x

10
10 m
=160 kN y x2
20 2
=160 kN

=160 kN =160 kN

dy 20
tan D x 0.5
dx ( 20 )2
x 10 m
160 kN =
D 26.6o

0= N D 178.9kN
VD 0
=160 kN
MD 0
=160 kN
Reflection: What Have
You Learnt?