Analysis of Cable-Stiffened Space Structures

A method is presented for computing the nonlinear dynamic response of three-dimensional cable-stiffened structures. The nonlinear dynamic equations are reduced to a smaller system by expanding the unknown variables as a series of mode shapes which were found by an eigenvalue analysis of the linear dynamic equations. The method is applied to a single plane cable-stayed bridge. Results are obtained for linear and nonlinear dynamic response due to earthquake, vortex excitation, and wind gusting. It is confirmed that a linear analysis is suitable for cable-stayed bridges.