Bending Fatigue of Cable Stays

Abstract

Large amplitude stay-cable vibrations have been observed numerous times in the past few years in two long-span cable-stayed bridges in Texas: the Veterans Memorial Bridge near Port Arthur and the Fred Hartman Bridge near Baytown. In most cases, these vibrations have occurred in combination with light rain and relatively low winds. The rainwater forms rivulets on the cable that change the aerodynamic cross section of the smooth cable stays. This paper describes the field measurements, analytical models of vibration, fatigue tests carried out in Japan, and the development of planned laboratory fatigue tests that will be carried out at Ferguson Laboratory during 2001. The full-size cable fatigue tests will assess the relationship between the amplitude of cable vibration and fatigue damage. A future paper will relate these experimental results to the stays of the Veterans Memorial and Fred Hartman bridges in order to provide an estimate of the fatigue damage that may develop in their stays.