Evaluation of the Estimation of the Applied Axial Tension Force in the Sagging Cables of the Kinh Duong Vuong Diagonal Arch Bridge in Vietnam

The Kinh Duong Vuong bridge is a diagonal arch bridge with a large arch height-to-span ratio. It was built using a combination of the balanced cantilever method and temporary piers for the deck, and a formwork system to fabricate the steel arches on the completed prestressed concrete decks. The Finite Element Method (FEM) was applied for the bridge design. Displacements of the arches and deck were recorded during its construction along with the tension forces in the cables. These values were then compared with the FEM results to confirm the bridge's load-bearing capacity. The indirect method of estimating the axial tension forces in the cables based on the vibration method was also evaluated. The modified effective length of the cables was determined by measuring the distance (from a point one cable diameter away from the hinge center to the internal damper at the cable end) using the anchorage. The results demonstrated that utilizing the modified effective length improved the accuracy of the indirect method for estimating the axial tension force in the cables.