Experimental and numerical investigations of UHSS wire main cables for suspension bridges

Abstract

As the demand for suspension bridges with large spans and high bearing capacities increases, main cables made of conventional materials must be designed with larger cross-sections, which leads to a significant reduction in constructability and economy. To this end, a 1960 MPa grade steel wire cable strand was recently developed to facilitate the miniaturization of components and increase the load-carrying efficiency of structures. Through a series of material and mechanical experiments, the tensile strength and torsion toughness of the developed ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) wires were investigated; then, the static and fatigue performances of the developed UHSS cable strands were evaluated. As a result, the mechanical performance of the 1960 MPa grade cable strand satisfied all the specified criteria. Based on analytical derivation and numerical simulation, the effects of the main cable of the UHSS wire on the load-carrying performance of suspension bridges were investigated. The feasibility and efficiency of the developed 1960 MPa grade main cables were demonstrated via successful application in the Nansha Bridge.