Analytical Determination of Static Deflection Shape of an Asymmetric Extradosed Cable-Stayed Bridge Using Ritz Method

Abstract

A practical method to analyze the mechanical behavior of the asymmetric extradosed cable-stayed (AECS) bridge is provided in this paper. The work includes the analysis of the equivalent membrane tension of the cables, the ratio of side-span cable force to middle-span cable force, and the deflection of the main girder subject to uniformly distributed load. The Ritz method is a simple and efficient way to solve composite structures, such as the AECS bridge, compared with the traditional force method, displacement method, or finite element method. The theoretical results obtained from the Ritz method are in good agreement with that from the finite element analysis, which shows the accuracy of this approach. Then, a parametric study of AECS bridges is carried out by using the proposed equations directly, instead of using the traditional finite element modeling process, which requires a lot of modeling work. As a result, reasonable values of very important parameters are suggested, which helps the readers reach a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of AECS bridges. More importantly, it helps the designers to enhance the efficiency in the stage of conceptual design.