Large deformation assessment of three-tower suspension bridges: An enhanced analytical model and solution algorithm

Abstract

An enhanced nonlinear approach is proposed in this study to address the limitations of traditional deflection theory in analyzing large deformations of three-tower suspension bridges. In this approach, the three-tower suspension bridge is simplified as two quasi-independent bridges for analysis, and detailed considerations are given to the vertical and longitudinal deformations of the main cable, which produce the expression for the relationship between the cable's internal force and deformations. By employing the complementary energy principle and variational calculus, the nonlinear differential equations describing bridge deformations are then established. To ensure the displacement continuity at the middle tower, this paper proposes the use of Chebyshev polynomials to approximate the solutions of the differential equations, and the weighted residual method is then used to transform these differential equations into algebraic equations. On this basis, the developed nonlinear adjustment optimization algorithm enables efficient solving of the nonlinear equation and thus determination of bridge deformation under various load conditions. The accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed scheme are validated through the analysis of two suspension bridges with equal and unequal spans. Finally, the extended applications of the proposed scheme on the other type of multi-span suspension bridges are introduced for further applications.