A Parametric Study on the Ultimate Behaviors of Multi-Span Suspension Bridges

Abstract

Multi-span suspension bridges show greater vertical deflection of the girders and greater longitudinal displacement of the towers, as compared to typical three-span suspension bridges with the same center span length. These characteristics are affected by the sag ratio of the main cable, live load conditions, the strength of the main cable and the boundary conditions between the tower and girder. Therefore, to demonstrate the structural characteristics of the entire system, we analyzed the ultimate behavior of multi-span suspension bridges by considering these parameters.