Special Collection Announcement
Cable Structures in Bridge Engineering
Dongzhou Huang, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE
Consulting Engineer, Tampa, FL 33596, Atkins (corresponding author).
Email: Dongzhou.huang@atkinsglobal.com; dhuang.ABe@gmail.com
Wei-zhen Chen, Ph.D.
Professor, Tongji Univ., Shanghai 20092, China.
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https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001418
The special collection on Cable Structures in Bridge Engineering is
available in the ASCE Library (https://ascelibrary.org/page/jbenf2
/cable_structures_bridge_engineering).
Cable structures are used extensively in bridge engineering,
including stayed cables of cable-stayed bridges, main cable and sus-
penders of suspension bridges, and hangers of arch bridges. These
types of cable structures can offer an elegant and economic bridge
alternative. They have become a primary choice for long-span
bridges throughout the world, and methods of designing and con-
structing them have developed rapidly during the last two decades.
Accordingly, research on the design, analysis, inspection, and reha-
bilitation of these types of structures has become one of the most
interesting and timely subjects in bridge engineering. The special
issue of the Journal of Bridge Engineering is intended to promote
and improve the analysis, design, inspection, and rehabilitation of
cable structures. Twenty-three papers were selected for this special
issue, including 15 technical papers, six case studies, and two tech-
nical notes. These papers present recent advances in the design,
analysis, vibration control, damage detection, and evaluation meth-
ods of different types of cable structures, including cable-stayed,
suspension, and arch bridges.
There are three papers regarding the layout and detailed design
of cable structures. A paper titled “Conceptual Design of a New
Three-Tower Cable-Stayed Bridge System with Unequal-size
Fans” by Shao et al. (2018) presents a new type of three-tower
cable-stayed bridge with unequal-size fans. Numerical analysis
of conventional and proposed systems showed that this new sys-
tem is an excellent alternative to conventional designs regarding
the stiffness, internal forces, and cost. In addition, it is fully
accepted that cable anchorages in cable bridge structures are criti-
cal, yet there are no simple design and analytical methods avail-
able. Hence, Wei et al. (2018), in their paper “Full-Scale
Specimen Testing and Parametric Studies on Tensile-Plate
Cable-Girder Anchorages in Cable-Stayed Bridges with Steel
Girder,” present their investigations of different types of cable
anchorages through test and analytical methods. Their research
results are useful for bridge design and analysis as well as future
research. Another paper, “Analytical Models on Frictional
Resistance between Cable and Saddle Equipped with Friction
Plates for Multi-Span Suspension Bridges” by Cheng et al.
(2018), presents a practical method for evaluating the frictional
resistance in structural designs of suspension bridges and quanti-
fying the effects of friction plates in practice. The method was
verified with experimental results. The authors also concluded
that incorporating vertical or horizontal friction plates signifi-
cantly increases the frictional resistance and that using one hori-
zontal friction plate is more effective in enhancing friction resist-
ance than using one vertical friction plate.
© ASCE 02019001-1
J. Bridge Eng., 2019, 24(8): 02019001
Accurately and efficiently estimating cable tensions in a cable
structure during construction and in service is crucial. Three papers
in this collection present new methods for determining cable ten-
sions. Morgenthal et al. (2018), in a paper entitled “Determination
of Stay-Cable Forces Using Highly Mobile Vibration Measurement
Devices,” present some methods to facilitate cable tensile force
identification using highly mobile measurement equipment: modern
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based acceleration sen-
sors connected to battery-operated microcontrollers as well as those
integrated in smartphones. The proposed methodology and imple-
mentation were validated through direct force measurements in a
cable-stayed bridge under construction. The proposed technology
has shown potential to provide very simple, cost-effective yet accu-
rate tension force measurements. The paper “New Method for
Identifying Internal Forces of Hangers Based on Form-Finding
Theory of Suspension Cable” by Huang et al. (2017) presents a
novel method for identification of tensions in hangers using only
the measured coordinates of the main cables of the bridge based on
form-finding theory. This method is convenient and economical to
implement in practice and can identify the internal forces in all
hangers of the suspension bridge simultaneously. The application
of this method to a real bridge demonstrated that the proposed
method is accurate and efficient. Zarbaf et al. (2017), in their paper
“Stay Cable Tension Estimation of Cable-Stayed Bridges Using
Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization,” present a
methodology for estimating stay cable tensions of cable-stayed
bridges using the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm opti-
mization (PSO). This method can account for the effects of the
bending stiffness of the cable, sag extensibility, and external attach-
ments to the cables. The agreement between tension forces esti-
mated using the proposed method and those measured by lift-off
test demonstrated that the proposed method is well capable in esti-
mating the cable tension force in cable-stayed bridges.
With the development of structural design and material technol-
ogies during the last few decades, much longer stayed cables have
become possible. To improve their dynamic or static performance,
most long-span cable-stayed and suspension bridges are equipped
with lateral cables, except the main cables. There are two papers on
the analytical methods of complex cable bridge structures in this
special issue. In their paper entitled “Determination of the
Reasonable State of Suspension Bridges with Spatial Cables,”
Xiao et al. (2017) present a five-step algorithm for determining
the reasonable state of suspension bridges with complex spatial
cables using a general FEM analysis method with additional
algebraic operation and flow control. The algorithm makes full
use of the commercial bridge analysis and design software avail-
able without introducing any new theoretical concept and is effi-
cient and convenient for the bridge designers. The proposed
algorithm was verified through accurate nonlinear analysis.
Another paper, “Multistep and Multiparameter Identification
Method for Bridge Cable Systems” by Dan et al. (2018), presents
a parameter identification scheme for complicated cable systems
using the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The scheme
was verified through full-scale cable–damper system tests. The
authors concluded that the proposed multistep, multiparameter
identification program can significantly reduce the parameter
identification errors and improve the identification quality.
J. Bridge Eng.
 Cables in bridge structures are vulnerable to harsh environmen-
tal effects that inevitably result in damage accumulation and that
may impair the bridge. Thus, effective damage detection methods
for cables are imperative in bridge maintenance. Three papers pres-
ent cable damage detection methods and evaluation. In their paper
entitled “Damage Detection in the Cable Structures of a Bridge
Using the Virtual Distortion Method,” Lin et al. (2017) propose two
damage detection methods for hangers in arch bridges based on the
virtual distortion method (VDM). The proposed methods were veri-
fied through test results and can rapidly and accurately identify the
damage location and degree of damage. A paper entitled “Time-
Frequency-Based Data-Driven Structural Diagnosis and Damage
Detection for Cable-Stayed Bridges” Pan et al. (2018) presents
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time-frequency-based data-driven structural diagnosis and damage
detection for large-scale cable-stayed bridges. The proposed data-
driven damage detection techniques exhibit high accuracy to allow
distinguishing between undamaged and damaged cases, even when
there are certain noise interferences as well as operational condi-
tions. In their paper titled “Influence Length of Wire Fracture and
Wire-to-Wire Interaction in Helically Wired Strands under Axial
Loads,” Qu et al. (2018) propose an empirical equation for estimat-
ing the influence length of the wire fracture based on test and analyt-
ical results. They found that the difference in strains between the
seven-wire strands with one damaged wire and the intact strands
was negligible at 2 ft away from the damage location, and that sud-
den fracture in the outer wire with 90% area reduction causes only a
slight or negligible dynamic effect. Their findings are useful for
capacity evaluations of cable bridge structures.
Short suspenders in suspension bridges are prone to fatigue dam-
age under repetitive vehicle and wind loads. There are three papers
on fatigue damage and fatigue life evaluations for such members.
Liu et al. (2017), in their paper entitled “Fatigue Life Evaluation on
Short Suspenders of Long-Span Suspension Bridge with Central
Clamps,” present the influence of using rigid central clamps on the
fatigue performance of short suspenders and propose a fatigue life
evaluation procedure. They found that central clamps can signifi-
cantly mitigate the bending stress of short suspenders by reducing
the relative motion between cables and the girder, and that sus-
penders may have fatigue lives shorter than the design value if
there are no center clamps. The paper “Failure Investigation and
Replacement Implementation of Short Suspenders in a
Suspension Bridge” by Sun et al. (2017b) presents the failure
evaluation replacement method of short suspenders in an existing
suspension bridge. The authors concluded that cylindrical bush-
ing in the pin connections of the suspender with the main cable
and the deck is often subject to frequent impact transmitted from
the deck and is susceptible to premature failure. Another paper,
“Experimental Study and Residual Performance Evaluation of
Corroded High-Tensile Steel Wires” by Zheng et al. (2017),
presents a large amount of fatigue test results on the corroded
hangers made of high-strength steel wires. Their conclusions on
the properties of corroded wires and the prediction of residual
service are useful for bridge maintenance and rehabilitation.
The installation of dampers close to cable anchorages is a com-
mon approach for stay cable vibration mitigation. In their paper
“Performance Comparison between Passive Negative-Stiffness
Dampers and Active Control in Cable Vibration Mitigation,” Shi
et al. (2017) present a systematic comparison of vibration mitiga-
tion performances between passive negative stiffness dampers and
active control methods of linear quadratic regulator and output feed-
back control. Their conclusions are useful for practical bridge
designers. A paper entitled “Assessment of the Structural Damping
Required to Prevent Galloping of Dry HDPE Stay Cables Using the
© ASCE 02019001-2
J. Bridge Eng., 2019, 24(8): 02019001
Quasi-Steady Approach” by Demartino and Ricciardelli 2018)
presents the evaluation of the structural damping required to prevent
galloping of dry high density polyethylene (HDPE) stay cables
using the quasi-steady approach based on the mean aerodynamic
force coefficients of a real HDPE plain cable cover measured in the
wind tunnel. The authors concluded that the cable irregularities and
detuning direction have a strong influence on aerodynamic stability,
and that instability is mainly due to critical Reynolds number
effects.
Wind-induced vibration is another vital problem concerning
cable structures. There are three papers on wind-induced vibration.
Flutter stabilization of streamlined box girders is of critical impor-
tance for ensuring the structural safety of super-long-span bridges.
The paper “Flutter Characteristics of Thin Plate Sections for
Aerodynamic Bridges” by Yang et al. (2018) presents new findings
on flutter characteristics of thin plate sections through performing
theoretical analysis and wind tunnel tests with the aim of evaluating
the flutter mechanism of super-long-span bridges with streamlined
box girders. They concluded that the critical flutter velocities are
different due to different ways of changing the structural torsional-
heaving frequency ratio. With the increase of structural frequency
ratio, the participation level of the heaving motion decreases, and
the coupling effect becomes weaker. Andersen and Brandt (2018),
in their paper “Aerodynamic Instability Investigations of a Novel,
Flexible and Lightweight Triple-Box Girder Design for Long-Span
Bridges,” discuss the possibilities for avoiding classical flutter and
static divergence for very-long-span suspension bridges with a
novel, flexible, and lightweight triple box girder. Through a section
model test with a lightweight setup corresponding to a bridge girder
mass in full-scale and numerical analysis, they found that no flutter
was observed for the torsional-to-vertical frequency ratios ranging
from 0.97 to 1.55, and that the critical flutter wind speed was
approximately 88 m/s in the full-scale analysis for a suspension
bridge with a main span length of 2,125.2 m. Their research results
are useful for designing long-span suspension bridges. In their pa-
per “Wind-Tunnel Experiments on Vortex-Induced Vibration of
Rough Bridge Cables,” Trush et al. (2017) present the results of
wind tunnel experiments on the vortex-induced vibration of rough
bridge cables with various surface roughness and different levels of
atmospheric turbulence. They concluded that the roughness and tur-
bulence of the flow have a significant influence on the dynamic
response of the cables, and that the vortex-induced vibration is
larger for an ice-accreted bridge cable.
There are two papers on dynamic behaviors of cable-supported
bridges. “Modal Analysis of the Saint Bachi Suspension Aqueduct
Bridge Considering Fluid-Structure Interaction” by Di et al. (2017)
presents the free-vibration behaviors of a special aqueduct cable-
stayed bridge. The effects of the amount of water in the bridge main
pipe on bridge vibration modes are discussed. The conclusions
reached can assist bridge design of similar bridge types. Sun et al.
(2017a), in their paper “Automated Operational Modal Analysis of
a Cable-Stayed Bridge,” propose automated techniques for analyz-
ing the dynamic behavior of existing bridges based on ambient
vibration data. Using the proposed procedures, the vibration param-
eters of frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes can be
obtained without the need for any user interactions. The proposed
automated algorithm was verified with test results. The authors rec-
ommend this method be used as an operational modal analysis
framework for testing existing bridges.
The paper “Experimental and Numerical Study of Lateral Cable
Rupture in Cable-Stayed Bridges” by Hoang et al. (2018) presents
the impact behavior of a stay cable subjected to abrupt rupture due
to lateral force using model experiments and numerical analysis.
J. Bridge Eng.
 They concluded that the impact force is more affected by the tensile
stress of the cable during rupture than by the initial stress mentioned
in the post-tensioning institute (PTI’s) recommendations. The con-
clusion may benefit future design of cable-stayed bridges.
Kalhori et al. (2018), in their case study titled “Nothing-on-Road
Axle Detection Strategies in Bridge-Weigh-in-Motion for a Cable-
Stayed Bridge,” discuss how to arrange the sensors through which
the closely spaced axles can reliably be detected regardless of the
speed, traveling direction, and lateral location of the vehicle on the
bridge. Their findings are useful in bridge weight-in-motion
research.
Readers will find that the special issue covers a vast array of
interesting topics in cable-supported bridges. We trust this special
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issue will promote the advancement of the state of the art of the
design, analysis, construction, and maintenance of cable-supported
bridges. The special issue editors extend appreciation to Dr. Anil K.
Agrawal, the Chief Editor; to the reviewers; and to the ASCE staff
members for the support and assistance that they provided in the
preparation of this special issue.
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J. Bridge Eng.