OPTIMUM DESIGN OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

A Thesis Submitted in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Technology
In
Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering

SHUBHADIP DEB

REG NO. - 2021204

Under the Supervision of

DR. TAUHID RAHMAN

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SILCHAR
2022

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© NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SILCHAR, YEAR
ALL RIGHTS RESERVE

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 DECLARATION

Title: OPTIMUM DESIGN OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

Degree for which the Thesis is submitted: M.Tech (Structural dynamics and
earthquake engineering)

I declare that the presented thesis represents largely my own ideas and work in my
own words. Where other’s ideas or words have been included, I have adequately
cited and listed in the reference materials. The thesis has been prepared without
resorting to plagiarism. I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and
integrity. No falsified or fabricated data have been presented in the thesis. I
understand that any violation of the above will cause for disciplinary action by the
Institute, including revoking the conferred degree, if conferred, and can also evoke
penal action from the sources which have not been properly cited or from whom
proper permission has not been taken.

(Signature)

Name- Shubhadip Deb

Registration no.: 2021204

Date:

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 CERTIFICATE

It is certified that the work contained in this thesis entitled ‘OPTIMUM DESIGN
OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE’ submitted by Shubhadip Deb, Registration no-
2021204 for the award of Master of technology in Civil Engineering is absolutely based
on his own work carried out under my supervision and that this work/thesis has not
been submitted elsewhere for any degree/diploma.

Date: (Signature)

Dr. T. Rahman
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
NIT Silchar

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 ABSTRACT

Suspension bridge is most significantly used for mainly large span bridges. It is a bridge in
which the weight of the deck is supported by some cables known as hangers and again this
cables are suspended from main cable. The development of suspension bridge is back to
antiquity. Back in 2000 years before suspension bridges were constructed with iron chain cables.

The main purpose of this project is to understand the basic concept of suspension bridge and to
analyse the suspension bridge for both completed state and construction stage model.

In this thesis, an effort has been made to model a 660 meters span suspension Bridge with 360
meters central Span for different cable diameter, hanger diameter, girder depth, main cable
profile. Also my purpose of this project is to find some approximate dimensionless ratio such as
cable sag to main span, hanger Diameter to Main Spain, main cable Diameter to Main span,
girder depth to main span ratio etc. This optimum dimensionless ratio is determined based on the
values obtained for bending moment, shear force, axial force, displacement etc. Also I have
shown in this report, the amount of setback required for pylons, displacement of sag point in
different stages of construction by using backward construction stage analysis.

The analysis of the bridge is carried out by MIDAS CIVIL software. This report is also designed
to introduce you, how to model and analyse suspension bridge by MIDAS CIVIL software. The
ease with which complex bridge structure can be modelled, analysed and designed, has made
Midas civil software very useful bridge analysis and design tool.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our supervisor Dr. T. Rahman, Associate
professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology,
SILCHAR, for providing us this golden opportunity to embark on this project work and for
providing valuable lecture and supervision on this. I am thankful for his able guidance and
encouragement which he showered upon us in carrying out this project.
Beside, I am also thankful to all the staff members of Civil Engineering Department
who rendered their help by providing us all the facilities and the materials needed for this
research work.

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 CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE NO
DECLERATION iii
CERTIFICATE iv
ABSTRACT v
ACKNOWLEGDEMENT vi
CONTENT vii
LIST OF FIGURES ix

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Importance and advantages 1
1.3 Disadvantages 2
1.4 Evolution of modern day’s suspension bridge 2
1.5 Development of suspension bridges in India 2
1.6 Structural aspect 3
1.7 Structural form 3
1.8 Theory related to analysis of suspension bridge 5
1.9 Types of suspension bridge 6
1.10 Main components of suspension bridge 8
1.11 Literature review 12
1.12 Scope of the work- 15
1.13 Objective of work 16

CHAPTER 2: MODELLING OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

2.1 Introduction 17
2.2 Material properties 17
2.3 Geometry of Bridge Model 18
2.4 Sectional properties 18
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2.5 Steps for modelling suspension bridge in MIDAS CIVIL 19
2.6 Analysis flowchart 20
2.6 Bridge dimensions 21
2.7 Definition of section properties and material properties 21
2.8 Suspension bridge wizard 23
2.9 Boundary conditions 25
2.10 Definition of structure group 26
2.11 Loading Input 26
2.12 Suspension Bridge Analysis Control Function 27
2.13 Input Center span stay 27
2.14 Final model 28
2.15 Construction Stage Modelling 29
2.16 Define structure group 31
2.17 Assigning of work environment 32
2.18 Define Construction stage load 33
2.19 Define Construction Stages 34
2.20 Input Construction stage analysis data 35

CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

3.1 Introduction 36
3.2 Analysis steps 36
3.3 Loading Input and analysis of suspension bridge 37
3.4 Vehicle Combinations for 4 Lane 39
3.5 Lane definition 41
3.6 Nodal Wind load 43
3.3.6 Perform Structural analysis 43
3.3.7 Final load combination generation 43
3.7 Conclusion 44

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CHAPTER 4: Results of Analysis of Bridge Model
4.1 Introduction 45
4.2 Effect of Cable stiffness 47
4.3Effects of variation of Cable diameter 48
4.4 Effects of variation in Hanger diameter 50
4.5 Effects of variation in Cable Sag 53
4.6 Effect of girder depth 55
4.7 Time dependent material property for construction stage analysis 57
4.8 Results of Backward Construction Stage analysis 58

CHAPTER 5: Conclusion and Scope of future work

5.1 Introduction 61
5.2 Summary of work done 61
5.3 Discussions 62
5.4 Conclusion 65
5.5 Scope of future work 66

REFERENCES 67

APPENDIX 68

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No. Figure Name Page No.

1.1 Dobra-chanti bridge 3
1.2 Different components of suspension Bridge 4

1.3 2 hinged stiffening girder 6

1.4 Continious stiffening girder 6
1.5 Externally anchored 7
1.6 Self-anchored suspension bridge 7

1.7 2 SPAN BRIDGE 7

1.8 Multi-span bridge 7
1.9 Single span bridge 7
1.10 Vertical suspender type 7
1.11 Inclined suspender type 7
1.12 Rocker pylon 9
1.13 Flexible pylon 9
1.14 Rigid pylon 9
1.15 Portal pylon 9
1.16 Truss pylon 9
1.17 Combined portal and truss pylon 9

1.18 Vertical cable band 9

1.19 Horizontal cable band 9
1.20 Gravity type anchorage 10
1.21 Rock type anchorage 10
1.22 Parallel wire cables 11
1.23 Strand Rope 11
1.24 Spiral Rope 11
1.25 Locked coil 11
1.26 Center lock stay 12

1.27 Center span stay 12

2.1 Material Properties input 18

2.2 Material section input 19

2.3 Bridge dimension 21

2.4 Cable material input 21

2.5 Hanger material input 21

2.6 Pylon input 22

2.7 Girder input 22

2.8 Hanger Input 22

2.9 Cable section input 22

2.10 Pylon section input 22

2.11 Suspension bride wizard 23

2.12 Self-weight application 23

2.13 3D model generation by wizard 24

2.14 Pylon without transverse beam 24

2.15 Pylon with transverse beam 24

2.16 Rigid links 25

2.17 Application of point load to each hanger 26

2.18 Suspension bridge analysis control 27

2.19 Cable stay 28

2.20 Cable stay properties 28

2.21 Final Model 28

2.22 Construction Stage 7 29

2.23 Construction Stage 6 29

2.24 Construction Stage 5 29

2.25 Construction Stage 4 30

2.26 Construction Stage 3 30

2.27 Construction Stage 2 30

2.28 Construction Stage 1 30

2.29 Construction Stage 0 30

2.30 Construction times 31

2.31 Construction stages 31

2.32 Construction stage definition 31

2.33 Boundary group definition 32

2.34 Stay group definition 32

2.35 Construction stage self-weight definition 33

2.36 Group activation and deactivation 33

2.37 CS0 Stage definition 34

2.38 CS1 Stage definition 34

2.39 CS7 Stage definition 34

2.40 Construction stage analysis control 35

2.41 Time dependent effect control 35

3.1 Self weight application to each hanger 37

3.2 Self-weight application 37

3.3 Self-weight menu in MIDAS 37

3.4 Class A train of vehicles 38

3.5 Class 70 R Wheeled vehicle 39

3.6 Load combination of 4 lane 39

3.7a Class 70R load input 40

3.7b Class A wheel load input 40

3.8a Lane definition 41

3.8b Lane definition 41

3.8c Lane definition 42

3.8d Lane definition 42

3.9a Lane1 42

3.9b Lane3 42

3.10 Wind load application 43

4.1 Cable tension 45

4.2 Typical bending moment diagram 45

4.3 Typical deflection in Z direction 46

4.4 Typical shear force in Z direction 46

4.5 Typical pylon force 46

4.6 Moment vs modulus of elasticity of cable 47

4.7 Deflection vs modulus of elasticity of cable 47

4.8 Stress vs cable diameter 48

4.9 Girder deflection vs cable diameter 48

4.10 Pylon deflection vs cable diameter 49

4.11 Displacement in X direction 49

4.12 50
Moment vs Cable diameter
4.13 50
Stress vs hanger diameter
4.14 51
Girder deflection vs hanger diameter
4.15 52
Pylon deflection vs hanger diameter
4.16 52
Moment vs hanger diameter
4.17 53
Stress vs cable sag
4.18 54
Girder deflection vs cable sag
4.19 54
Moment vs cable sag
4.20 55
Moment vs girder depth
4.21 55
Stress vs girder depth
4.22 56
Girder deflection vs girder depth
4.23 57
Creep co-efficient vs time
4.24 57
Shrinkage strain vs time
4.25 57
Compressive strength vs time
4.26 58
X direction displacement in construction stage 7
4.27 58
Initial cable forces in construction stage 7
4.28 59
Bending moment in pylon in construction stage 7
4.29 59
Deflection in pylon in global X direction vs stages
4.30 59
Sag point displacements vs stages
4.31 60
Bending moment vs span
4.32 60
Displacement vs span