Issue 38

P. Lonetti et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 38 (2016) 359-376; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.38.46 374 In order to verify the effectiveness of the self-anchored cable-stayed suspension system in the framework of long span bridges, additional results are presented for a bridge scheme whose main span length is equal to 1500 m. (a) LC1 loading condition (b) LC2 loading condition Figure 14 : Comparisons between bridges typologies in terms of dimensionless girder vertical displacements   3 G U L at maximum values of load parameter  In such analyses, the comparisons are restricted to the pure self-anchored suspension and the hybrid cable stayed suspension bridges. The results, presented in Fig. 15, show that the self-anchored hybrid system has a load carrying capacity almost two times larger than that related to the pure suspension one. Such results, together with previous comparisons, point out the enhanced properties of the self-anchored hybrid configuration, which ensures notable structural performances for both medium and long main span lengths. Figure 15 : Loading curve of midspan vertical displacement   1 L  : comparisons between hybrid and suspension bridge scheme. C ONCLUSIONS he main aim of the present paper is to analyze the influence of the nonlinear material behavior and structural characteristics of self-anchored cable-stayed suspension bridges on the maximum loading carrying capacity. To this end, a parametric study is developed in terms of bridge characteristics, involving geometric, material and mechanical properties of the bridge constituents. Moreover, in order to verify the effectiveness of the self-anchored T