• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.894-901
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• 2006

In general, the tension fores of hanger cable in suspension bridges play an important role in evaluating the bridge state. The vibration method, as a conventional one, has been widely applied to estimate the tension fores by using the measured frequencies on hanger cables. However, the vibration method is not applicable to short hanger cables because the frequency of short cables is severely sensitive to the flexural rigidity. Thus, in this study, the tension forces of short hanger cables, of which the length is shorter than 10meters, were estimated through back analysis of the cable frequencies measured from Gwang-An suspension bridge in Korea. Direct approach to rock analysis is adopted using the univariate method among the direct search methods as an optimization technique. The univariate method is able to search the optimal tension forces without regard to the initial ones and has a rapid convergence rate. To verify the feasibility of back analysis, the results from back analysis and vibration method are compared with the design tension forces. From the comparison, it can be inferred that back analysis results are more reasonable agreement with the design tension forces of short hanger cable. Therefore, it is concluded that back analysis applied in this study is an appropriate tool for estimating tension forces of short hanger cables.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.6
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• pp.603-625
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• 2019

Main cable configurations under final dead load and in the unloaded state and critical construction parameters (e.g. unstrained cable length, unstrained hanger lengths, and pre-offsets for tower saddles and splay saddles) are the core considerations in the design and construction control of a suspension bridge. For the purpose of accurate calculations, it is necessary to take into account the effects of cable strands over the anchor spans, arc-shaped saddle top, and tower top pre-uplift. In this paper, a method for calculating the cable configuration under final dead load over a main span, two side spans, and two anchor spans, coordinates of tangent points, and unstrained cable length are firstly developed using conditions for mechanical equilibrium and geometric relationships. Hanger tensile forces and unstrained hanger lengths are calculated by iteratively solving the equations governing hanger tensile forces and the cable configuration, which gives careful consideration to the effect of hanger weight. Next, equations for calculating the cable configuration in the unloaded state and pre-offsets of saddles are derived from the cable configuration under final dead load and the conditions for unstrained cable length to be conserved. The equations for the main span, two side spans and two anchor spans are then solved simultaneously. In the proposed methods, coupled nonlinear equations are solved by turning them into an unconstrained optimization problem, making the procedure simplified. The feasibility and validity of the proposed methods are demonstrated through a numerical example.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.120-129
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• 2023

Hanger cable tension is a major response that can determine the integrity and safety of suspension bridges. In general, the vibration method is used to estimate hanger cable tension on operational suspension bridges. It measures natural frequencies from hanger cables and indirectly estimates tension using the geometry conditions of the hanger cables. This study estimated the hanger cable tension of the Palyeong Bridge using a vision-based system. The vision-based system used digital camcorders and tripods considering the convenience and economic efficiency of measurement. Measuring the natural frequencies for high-order modes required for the vibration method is difficult because the hanger cable response measured using the vision-based system is displacement-based. Therefore, this study proposed a back analysis technique for estimating tension using the natural frequencies of low-order modes. Optimization for the back analysis technique was performed by defining the difference between the natural frequencies of hanger cables measured in the field and those calculated using finite element analysis as the objective function. The direct search method that does not require the partial derivatives of the objective function was applied as the optimization method. The reliability and accuracy of the back analysis technique were verified by comparing the tension calculated using the method with that estimated using the vibration method. Tension was accurately estimated using the natural frequencies of low-order modes by applying the back analysis technique.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.2
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• pp.169-180
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• 2019

The underlying mechanism of the wind-induced vibration of the hangers of the suspension bridges is still not fully understood at present and hence is comprehensively examined in this study. More specifically, a series of field measurements on the No. 2 hanger of the Xihoumen Bridge was first carefully conducted. Large amplitude vibrations of the hanger were found and the oscillation amplitude of the leeward cable was obviously larger than that of the windward cables. Furthermore, the trajectory of the leeward cable was close to an ellipse, which agreed well with the major characteristics of wake-induced vibration. Then, a theoretical model for the wake-induced vibration based on a 3-D continuous cable was established. To obtain the responses of the leeward cable, the finite difference method (FDM) was adopted to numerically solve the established motion equation. Finally, numerical simulations by using the structural parameters of the No. 2 hanger of the Xihoumen Bridge were carried out within the spatial range of $4{\leq}X{\leq}10$ and $0{\leq}Y{\leq}4$ with a uniform interval of ${\Delta}X={\Delta}Y=0.25$. The results obtained from numerical simulations agreed well with the main features obtained from the field observations on the Xihoumen Bridge. This observation indicates that the wake-induced vibration might be one of the reasons for the hanger oscillation of the suspension bridge. In addition, the effects of damping ratio and windward cable movement on the wake-induced vibration of the leeward cable were numerically investigated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.21-30
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• 2008

In this study, to evaluate the aerodynamic stability of suspension bridge hanger ropes, the wind tunnel tests are carried out. It is found that the vortex induced vibration is detected only in single PE-coated PWS cable case. And the wake galloping is occurred in twin cables spaced $3\sim6$ cable diameters of cable center to center when the incidence angle of wind is only zero degree. In case of other incidence angles of wind except zero degree, the wake galloping or the wake flutter are showed in twin cables even outside range of the bounds of $3\sim6$ cable diameters. CFRC cable shows very stable for the twin cables regardless of the distance between two cables, and also for various incidence angles of wind. Thus the characteristic of CFRC rope overwhelms one of PWS cable in aerodynamic stability.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.3 s.55
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• pp.1-10
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• 2007

In general, the tension forces of hanger cable in suspension bridges play an important role in evaluating the bridge conditions. The vibration method, as a conventional one, has been widely applied to estimate the tension forces by using the measured frequencies on hanger cables. However, the vibration method is not applicable to short hanger cables because the fiequencies of short cables are severely sensitive to flexural rigidity. Thus, in this study, the tension forces of short hanger cables, of which the length is shorter than 10 meters, were estimated through back analysis of the cable fiequencies measured from Gwang-An suspension bridge in Korea. Direct approach to back analysis is adopted using the univariate method among the direct search methods as an optimization technique. The univariate method is able to search the optimal tension forces without regard to the initial ones and has a rapid convergence rate. To verify the feasibility of back analysis, the results from back analysis and vibration method are compared with the design tension forces. From the comparison, it can be inferred that back analysis results are more reasonable agreement with the design tension forces of short hanger cable. Therefore, it is concluded that back analysis applied in this study is an appropriate tool for estimating tension forces of short hanger cables.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.1A
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

Along with the development of coasts, islands and mountains, the demand of long-span bridges increases which, in turn, brings forth the construction of cable-supported bridges like suspension and cable-stayed bridges. There are various types of statically indeterminate structures widely applied that supported the main girder with stay cables, main cables, hanger cables with aesthetic structural appearance. As to the cable-supported bridges, the health monitoring of a bridge can be identified by measuring tension force on cable repeatedly. The tension force on cable is measured either by direct measurement of stress of cable using load cell or hydraulic jack, or by vibration method estimating tension force using cable shape and measured dynamic characteristics. In this study, a method to estimate dynamic characteristics of hanger cables by using a digital image processing is suggested. Digital images are acquired by a portable digital camcorder, which is the sensor to remotely measure dynamic responses considering convenient and economical aspects for use. A digital image correlation(DIC) technique is applied for digital image processing, and an image transform function(ITF) to correct the geometric distortion induced from the deformed images is used to estimate subpixel. And, the correction of motion of vision-based measurement system using a fixed object in an image without installing additional sensor can be enhanced the resolution of dynamic responses and modal frequencies of hanger cables.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.2A
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• pp.215-222
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• 2008

This paper introduces an experimental verification of a tension estimation method based on system identification approach for a double hanger system on a suspension bridge. A laboratory model of such double hanger system has been made for this study. Total nine cases of the vibration tests have been conducted with respect to three levels of applied tension and three cases of the location of clamp. For a set of the collected acceleration response data, modal analysis has been followed in order to extract the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the selected cable systems. For the extracted modal parameters, the existing tension estimation methods based on the string theory and axially loaded beam theory have been firstly applied to estimate the tensile force on the double hanger cable system. Next, the tensile force on cables has been estimated by the system identification approach. It is seen that the errors in the tension estimation using the frequency-based system identification technique are about 3% for all cases while the estimation error using the existing method is up to 53.1%.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.13 no.3 s.55
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• pp.135-144
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• 2009

The cable system of suspension bridges is a very important non-elastic element which caries an external load by a tension force of the cable, such that creates the integrity of a structure. It is not easy to find if cable system have been changed by the maintenance activities such as repairs or reinforcement. Sometimes the maintenance can cause structural deformations and changes of the tension force in cables. In most cases, the cable stayed bridges are managed by health monitering system, however, the main cable of suspension bridges need to develop more accurate and efficient monitoring system. The Namhee Bridge was constructed 35 years ago and it has been continually repaired and reinforced after then. This study describes the behavior of the cable system by analysing many of inspective reports and by using the results of hanger rope test and for the shape of main cables surveys.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.51-69
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• 2023

In tied-arch bridges, a properly designed connection between the arch and the deck may become crucial, since the forces in the structure may be significantly reduced. This implies substantial material savings and, consequently, cheaper constructions. The introduction of the Nielsen cable arrangement (composed of V-shaped inclined hangers) in the last century was a milestone because it was able to reduce deflections and bending moments both in the arch and in the deck. So far, the Nielsen cable arrangement has proven to be successful in traditional vertical arch bridges. However, despite its advantages, it has not been widely applied to spatial arch bridges. Thus, this article analyses the difference between the structural behavior of spatial arch bridges with Nielsen-type cable arrangements with respect to those with classical vertical hanger configurations. The main goal is to verify whether the known effectiveness of the Nielsen cable arrangement for classical arch bridges is still preserved when applied to spatial arch bridges. In order to achieve this objective, and as the first part of our study, a set of different all-steel bridges composed of vertical and inclined arches with straight decks have been compared for both cable arrangements. As a major conclusion, for planar vertical arch bridges, the Nielsen-type cable arrangement is always the most effective. In addition, it also seems that, for spatial arch bridges composed of a straight deck and an inclined arch, it still keeps most of its effectiveness as long as the arch is moderately inclined.