Cross-ties with linear hysteretic damping for cable vibration mitigation: Theoretical analysis and full-scale experiment

Abstract

This study investigates cross-ties with linear hysteretic damping (HDCs) for vibration mitigation of stay cables through theoretical analysis and full-scale experiments. The formed cable networks are modeled by considering cables as taut strings and the HDCs as mass-less elements of complex stiffness. Frequency equation of the system is formulated analytically and is solved numerically. Then, the influence of HDCs on system dynamics is discussed for typical cable networks and considering HDCs realized by a rigid tie in series with high damping rubber. The results indicate that the HDCs can realize high damping for multiple modes because of the frequency independency of hysteretic damping and no restriction on the installation location. Increasing the loss factor of the cross-tie is significant for improving system damping, but less effective for system frequency modification. Extending HDCs to the ground and using multiple HDCs are effective in further enhancing multi-mode frequency and damping of the system. Furthermore, full-scale experimental validations and investigations are conducted based on three cables of approximately 40 m. Experimental results have validated the effectiveness of HDC in enhancing system damping. This study demonstrates that the easily implementable HDCs have excellent performance in vibration mitigation of multi-mode cable vibrations.