Statics and Dynamics of Cable Trusses

Abstract

The top and bottom chords consist of continuous prestressed cables which are anchored at each end and between which numerous vertical light rigid spacers are placed. When used in arrays, the cable truss has proved to be a useful structural element by which the roofs of buildings of large span may be supported. Following a general derivation of the equations of vertical equilibrium and compatibility, attention is focused on those cable trusses that are either biconvex or biconcave and initially symmetrical. This essentially removes the nonlinearities that would characterize the asymmetrical truss response to applied vertical load and the analysis is simplified considerably. Detailed solutions are presented for the static response of a symmetrical parabolic truss to a point load, a uniformly distributed load, and a triangular loading block. In the dynamic analyses an investigation is made of the natural frequencies and modes of vertical vibration; the theories are applied to roofs both rectangular and circular in plan.