Abstract
Hanger cables in suspension bridges are partly constrained by horizontal clamps. So, existing tension estimation methods based on a single cable model are prone to higher errors as the cable gets shorter, making it more sensitive to flexural rigidity. Therefore, inverse analysis and system identification methods based on finite element models are suggested recently. In this paper, the applicability of system identification methods is investigated using the hanger cables of Gwang-An bridge. The test results show that the inverse analysis and systemic identification methods based on finite element models are more reliable than the existing string theory and linear regression method for calculating the tension in terms of natural frequency errors. However, the estimation error of tension can be varied according to the accuracy of finite element model in model based methods. In particular, the boundary conditions affect the results more profoundly when the cable gets shorter. Therefore, it is important to identify the boundary conditions through experiment if it is possible. The FE model-based tension estimation method using system identification method can take various boundary conditions into account. Also, since it is not sensitive to the number of natural frequency inputs, the availability of this system is high.
Highlights
The number of long-span bridges built in countries around the world is increasing
The two most widely used methods are the taut string theory [1], which does not take the flexural rigidity into consideration, and the linear regression method [2], which regards the cable as a beam under the axial load and considers the flexural rigidity
Kim et al [6, 7] suggested formula-based inverse analysis method, which defines the errors between the calculated frequency using the analysis models and the frequency measured as the objective functions, and uses an optimized algorithm, the univariate search method and modal participation factor
Summary
The number of long-span bridges built in countries around the world is increasing. Of these long-span bridges, the suspension bridge uses stiffening girders that are attached to the main cables to support the load. Most long-span bridges, such as suspension bridges, support their loads by means of cables. The most accurate means to estimate the tension on the cables is to use the load cells to collect the data directly. This is not an option in many cases due to the conditions in the field. Yun et al [3] analyzed the influence of the effective length in the linear regression method, while Ahn et al [4] used the static method, which requires the minimal amount of measurements compared to the dynamic methods, to calculate the tension on the hanger cables
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