Cable-Stayed Bridge Unbalance loading 1

[imnotclever]

With France opening the worlds tallest brige I got to thinking.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/14/france.bridge.ap/index.html

How do you bridge guys handle unbalaced loading in cable-stayed bridges that only have a single row of cables at the center of the deck. Is the deck a big torsion member?

With bridges like the Golden Gate everything is supported on two sides. But with the type of bridge above it looks to me like a lane full of traffic on one side and the opposite side empty of traffic would cause serious torsion.

 

[71corvette]

You are correct. The superstructure for a bridge such as the one built in France does act like a torsional member.

The complexities associated with bridges of this scale are amazing. I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation given by the lead designer of the new cable stayed Zakim Bridge in Boston. Listening to the designer discuss the intricacies of its design gave me an even greater apprciation for the effort and creativity needed to design these types of structures. They are certainly major feats of engineering.