Estimating cable forces in a large cable-stayed bridge

The presence of complex boundary conditions makes the estimation of cable forces in cable-stayed bridges quite difficult when using conventional model-based force identification methodologies. A large dataset of recorded acceleration signals is available for the Ting Kau Bridge (TKB) in Hong Kong. The dataset is used together with a numerical model of the bridge to reconstruct the tension forces in the main cables. A part of the data is used to calibrate the model. The remaining data are used for validation. The created numerical model permits an investigation of the tensions distribution in the stay-cables during a typhoon, based on the observed increase of some of the bridge frequencies during this extreme event