Bachelor Thesis Project

Dynamic Characteristics of suspension footbridges supported

by reverse cables under crowd loading.

RAJAT GUPTA GUIDED BY:

13CE31007 DR. SUSHANTA CHA KRABORATY
 Post Mid-Presentation – The Footbridge
A suspension footbridge has been modelled in CSi Bridge for performing the dynamic analysis. The
only conventional suspension bridge in service in Singapore is a 35 m span footbridge located in a
tourist attraction. The first two vertical vibration modes were found to occur at the same frequency
2 Hz (Through CSi Bridge Model - 2.20 Hz and 2.21Hz (shown in next slide)) as the average
pedestrian footfall.
The Side View and its Model in CSi Bridge Software
Stringers Transom Beams

Pylon Angles
REVERSE CABLE MODEL
Dynamic Analysis - Pedestrian Loading
There are 3 ways of walking considered – Normal Walking, Fast Walking, Running
The Ground Reaction Force (GRF) for the three ways are shown below:

Normal Walking Fast Walking Running

Normal Walking Running
LOADING - Two loads have been considered 0.874kN and
0.614kN. The deck has been divided into 6 lanes (1.2/0.2) where
1.2m = deck width, 0.2m = distance between two legs of pedestrian
Initially, a hypothetical pedestrian of 150kN is
considered to notice the dynamic responses of bridge.
The deformations are being showed by the animations:
Two cases are considered 150 pedestrians running and
100 pedestrians walking. A part of vehicle input data is
shown:
The same pedestrian loading is applied on
reverse cable model and hence these effects
are noted:
MODE SHAPES – Original
MODE SHAPES – Reverse Cable
SUMMARY
With the results observed above – one notices the following characteristics:

With the results observed above – one notices the following characteristics:
Since frequency is directly proportional to stiffness, with application of reverse cable modal frequencies
increase as system tends to become stiff.
Camber for the reverse cable systems is reduced since it tries to pull the bridge down.
Forces in the main cable and hangers increase with gradual increase in reverse cable axial forces since the
reverse cable tries to stretch it.
Deformations for a reverse cable system are less than the original system without reverse cable under
pedestrian loading.
LIMITATIONS
The following are the limitations of the CSi Bridge software:
 The inertial contribution of the pedestrians cannot be accounted in this software and hence
the mass matrix involved in solving the modal analysis will not change on application of
pedestrian load.
 The gait cycle of every individual is unique which is not accounted here for multiple pedestrian
loading and is also not possible to process in this software
FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK
 Model an out of plane Side Cable defining its geometry and notice its effects.
 Corresponding to different mode shapes, find an equivalent reverse cable geometry which
shall reduce responses and frequencies to values lower than the threshold required to excite
pedestrians
 To plot design curves of footbridge for vertical and torsional responses after defining proper
reverse cable geometry.
FUTURE SCOPE – SIDE REVERSE CABLE
THANK YOU TEACHERS
Questions and Queries are invited.