Iterative method for estimating collapse loads of steel cable-stayed bridges

Abstract

This paper proposes a new and simple method for estimating the collapse load of a steel cable-stayed bridge. A new convergence criterion for iterative eigenvalue computations is suggested to consider the beam-column effect of a cable-stayed bridge system. The collapse loads of example bridges, which have center spans of 600-m, 900-m and 1200-m with different girder depths, are evaluated by the proposed method and a nonlinear inelastic analysis. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is a good substitute for a complex nonlinear inelastic analysis to approximately evaluate the collapse loads as well as failure modes of steel cable-stayed bridges.