Design of aerodynamic stabilizing cables for a cable-stayed bridge during construction

A design procedure of stabilizing cable is proposed using buffeting analysis to stabilize the seesaw-like motion of the free cantilevered structure of a cable-stayed bridge during its construction. The bridge examined is a composite cable-stayed bridge having a main span length of 500 m. Based on the buffeting analysis, the stress in bare structure exceeded the allowable limit and a set of stabilizing cable was planned to mitigate the responses. The most efficient positions of the hold-down stabilizing cables were numerically investigated by means of an FE-based buffeting analysis and the required dimensions and pretension of the stabilizing cables were also calculated. The proposed stabilizing measure would be expected to secure the aerodynamic safety of a cantilevered structure under construction with considerable mitigation of buffeting responses.