UNIT I

CABLES AND ARCHES

1. What are cable structures?

Long span structures subjected to tension and uses suspension cables for supports. Examples of cable
structures are suspension bridges, cable stayed roof.

Suspension bridge cable structure

2. What is the true shape of cable structures?

Cable structures especially the cable of a suspension bridge is in the form of a catenary. Catenary is the
shape assumed by a string / cable freely suspended between two points.

3. Where are cables used?

Cables are used as temporary guys during the erection and as permanent guys for supporting masts
and towers.

4. What is a catenary?

Catenary is the shape taken up by a cable or rope freely suspended between two supports and under its
own self weight.

5. What is the shape of the flexible cable under its own weight? Give the expression for the shape
also.

The shape of a flexible cable is a parabola. Its expression is Y = 4hx (L-x)/L2

6. What will be the shape of the cable under

a) a udl along the horizontal span and b) several concentrated loads?

The shape of the cable will depend on the vertical loads applied. If the load is uniformly
distributed along the horizontal span, the shape of the curve will be a parabola and if it is
uniform alone the length of the cable, the shape will be a catenary.

In case of no. of concentrated loads the cable will take the shape of a funicular
polygon.
7. What is the nature of force in the cables?

Cables of cable structures have only tension and no compression or bending.

8. Explain the two ways by which a cable can be anchored or supported.

Cables can be supported by providing guyed pulley support and by providing roller support.

9. Mention the different types of cable structures.

Cable structures are mainly of two types: (a) Cable over a guide pulley

(b) Cable over a saddle

10. Briefly explain cable over a guide pulley.

Cable over a guide pulley has the following properties:

Tension in the suspension cable = Tension in the anchor cable

The supporting tower will be subjected to vertical pressure and bending due to net horizontal cable
tension.

11. Briefly explain cable over saddle.

Cable over saddle has the following properties:

Horizontal component of tension in the suspension cable = Horizontal component of tension in the
anchor cable

The supporting tower will be subjected to only vertical pressure due to cable tension.

12. What is the governing equation available for finding the length of a cable when it is supported
at different levels?

The governing equation available for finding the length of a cable when it is supported at different levels
is

L=l + 2 h12/3l1 + 2 h22/3 l2 where l=l1+l2

13. Give the expression for length of cable in terms of its span and central dip.

The expression for length of cable in terms of its span and central dip is

L=l + 8h2/3l

Where l= length of span and h= central dip

 The above expression is used for finding the length of cable with udl spread over the horizontal span
and supported at the same level.

14. What are the forces available at the point of maximum dip in a cable?

For a cable subjected to udl over the whole span the available forces at the dip are Horizontal force,
H = wl2/ 8h , Vertical force, V=0.

15. What is a suspension bridge?

A suspension bridge is a bridge is a bridge consisting of two cables with number of

suspenders (hangers) supporting the roadway.

16. What are the main functions of stiffening girders in suspension bridges?

Stiffening girders have the following functions.

They help in keeping the cables in shape

They resist part of shear force and bending moment due to live loads.

17. What is the degree of indeterminacy of a suspension bridge with two hinged stiffening girder?

The two hinged stiffening girder has one degree of indeterminacy.

18.What is need for providing anchor cables in towers?

Anchor cables are provided in towers to reduce the bending moment.

19. What is the role of stiffening girders in the suspension cable bridges?

Stiffening girders are provided to support the roadway for heavy traffic and large spans.

[NOTE: When the cable is subjected to a moving load system the funicular polygon shape will
change, in suspension cable bridges it is necessary to maintain the parabolic shape of the cable. This
can be achieved by providing stiffening girders in the cable. The external loads are carried by these
two main two hinged or three hinged girders. ]

20. Where do you get maximum tension a suspension cable when it is supported at different
levels? Assuming that the left support is at a higher elevation than the right support.
The maximum tension will occur at the higher support. Here the maximum tension will
occur at the left support which is the higher support.
21. To what forces the base of a suspension bridge has to be designed when the cable is taken
over a set of rollers placed on a horizontal plane on the top of tower and anchored behind the
tower?
The base of the tower for the above mentioned case should be designed for the vertical
force on the tower only as roller has only vertical reaction.

Vertical force on tower = T1Sin + TSin

Where = angle between anchor cable and horizontal

= angle between main cable and horizontal

22. What are all the forces for which the tower has to be designed when the bridge is supported
by guyed pulley support?
The forces for which the tower has to be designed when the bridge is supported by
guyed pulley support are as follows:

Vertical force = T [Sin + Sin]

Horizontal force = T [Cos Cos]

Bending moment = T [Cos Cos] h1

ARCHES

1) What are the different classifications of arches?

The different classifications of the arches are listed below,

i) Three hinged arch

ii) Two hinged arch

iii) Fixed arch

iv) Tied arch

2) State Eddys theorem.

Eddys theorem states that, The bending moment at any section of an arch is equal to the
vertical intercept between the linear arch and the centre line of the arch.

3) When are arches preferred in construction works?

 For larger spans, beams are very uneconomical and many a time the self weight of the beam
contributes to the stress in such large portions that it is difficult to design for larger span, so, for large
spans like bridges arches are provided instead of beams.

4) Are three hinged arches determinate? Explain.

Generally in the arches, there are 4 unknown reactions i.e., 2 vertical reactions and 2 horizontal
reactions, three hinged arches are determinate because all the four unknown reactions can be
determined by 3 equations of statics.

5) What are the different available types of three hinged arches?

The different types of the arches are listed below,

i) Circular arch

ii) Parabolic arch

6) Write the formula for calculating the normal thrust and radial shear in an arch?

The normal thrust is given by the formula N=Vsin + Hcos and the radial shear is calculated
by the formula Q= Vcos - Hsin.

7) What is crown in an arch?

The topmost point in an arch is called as crown.

8) Define rise of an arch.

When two hinges of the arch are at the same level, the height of the crown above the level of
the lower hinges is called as the rise of an arch.

9) Define horizontal thrust.

The horizontal component of the reaction at either lower end is called the horizontal thrust at
the support.

10) Define beam moment in an arch.

The beam moment at any section in an arch is the bending moment at the section considering
the span as that of a simply supported beam.