Technological University of the Philippines

Ayala Blvd., Ermita, Manila

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

Name of Student: Rondilla, Angel B.

ID No.: 15-205-106
Subject Description: Technical Elective 4 (Bridge Engineering)
Subject Code: TE 54

Written Report: Cable-Stayed Bridges

1.1 Definition

A cable-stayed bridge is a structural system with a continuous deck-girder supported by stay. These
cables in tension are running directly to one or more vertical towers. The towers transfer the cable forces to the
foundations through vertical compression. The tensile forces in the cables also put the deck into horizontal
compression. It usually carries pedestrians, bicycles, automobiles, trucks, and light rail and used in places
where spans need to be longer than cantilever bridge can achieve (because of its weight).

1.2 History

Inspired with the drawbridges of medieval castles and the

rope-braced masts of tall ships, the idea for the cable-stayed bridge
was first documented through an image featured in the book Machinae
Novae by Fausto Veranzio.

Although the book was published in 1595, the first cable-stayed

bridges only appeared during the 19th century when several early
suspension bridges were cable-stayed, for example:

 The Dryburgh Abbey Bridge — This footbridge was erected in 1817 in Scotland and connected the
villages of Dryburgh and St. Boswells across the River Tweed. (Fig. 1)
 The Brooklyn Bridge — This bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge that connects
Manhattan and Brooklyn and spans the East River. It was built in New York City in 1883. (Fig. 2)
 The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge — Designed by Edwin Elijah Runyon and built in 1891, this bridge
stretches across the Paluxy River and is known as the United States’ oldest known surviving true
cable-stayed bridge. (Fig. 3)

Fig. 1 Dryburgh Abbey Bridge Fig. 2 Brooklyn Bridge Fig. 3 Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge
 The system was developed further to replace many of the bridges destroyed after World War II with the
help of the progressive growth of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Here are some of those
bridges:
 Albert Caquot’s Bridge — Built in 1952 over the Donzère-Mondragon canal at Pierrelatte, this concrete
decked bridge was one of the first contemporary cable-stayed bridges. (Fig. 4)
 Strömsund Bridge — Designed in 1955 by Franz Dischinger, this bridge significantly influenced the
design of bridges in the coming years. (Fig. 5)

Fig. 4 Albert Caquot’s Bridge Fig. 5 Strömsund Bridge

1.3. Bridge Structural Components

The main structural components of cable-stayed bridges are as follows:

Deck — the surface of the bridge that will serve as a roadway for vehicles, bikes, or pedestrians. It may be
constructed entirely in steel, entirely in concrete, or as a steel-concrete composite structure. Generally, the
concrete solution is the most convenient for spans up to approximately 250 m. The composite structure
can be used successfully in all spans up to about 600 m, but it adapts well to spans from 200 to 500 m (i.e.,
crossings of large rivers). The steel solution is the most expensive, but it is also the most suitable for
bridges with spans exceedingly approximately 500 m (that is, for long-span bridges).

Tower — also referred to as pylon, which means lighter, slender towers. Like decks, towers can be
realized in steel, concrete, or in a steel-concrete composite. Towers are not only a fundamental structural
element, but they become the main aesthetical element for they are the most visible in a cable stayed
bridge. Consequently, their design is a difficult, challenging task of integrations of structural/engineering
statements and aesthetical/architectural aspects.
 Cables — specifically known as stay cables. These are the main and more special elements in this type of
bridges. Their behavior, and mainly their axial stiffness due to the sag effect, are nonlinear. The design of
stay cables is influenced by four main aspects: strength, fatigue, durability, and aerodynamic stability,
listed in order of increasing severity. The following types of cable are mainly used:
 Locked coil rope — used in the first German cable stayed bridges, and it is still used today,
especially for bridges with small and medium spans.
 Parallel wire cables — are very stiff and have high resistance to fatigue and low aerodynamic
resistance and therefore, except for the difficulty of installation of the large, prefabricated elements,
they are suitable for bridges with large spans.
 Parallel strand cables — are installed on site one after the other, are currently the most popular
system just by virtue of their easy installation, which requires light and easy tensioning in the
cantilevered construction.

Cable-stayed bridges are also known for its multiple design option in cable arrangements such as:
 The radial design requires every cable must be connected evenly throughout the deck, but all
converge on the pier.
 The parallel design, sometimes referred to as a harp option, offers cables that are virtually parallel
to each other so that the height of their attachment is proportion to their distance from the tower and
their deck mounting.
 The fan design requires that the cables all connect to or pass over the top of the towners. This
option is preferred when access is necessary to the cables while maximum supports are needed to
create a stable deck. Engineers can modify this option for specific environmental requirements too.
 The star design spaces the cables apart on the tower, connecting to one point or closely spaced
points on the deck instead of being spread out across the entire span.

1.4. Types / Variations

 Side-Spar — This type of cable-stayed bridge has a single tower and only receives support from one
side. Examples of bridges built in this way are a pedestrian bridge located in Manitoba, Canada, and
the Jerusalem Chords Bridge, which has a curved design and is something the design of this type of
bridge can accommodate.
 Cantilever-Spar — This type of cable-stayed bridge features a single cantilever spar on one side of
the span. The spar is manufactured to resist bending, which results from cable forces not balanced
by opposing cables. Examples of bridges built in this way is the Sundial Bridge built in 2004, which is
in Spain.
 Multiple-Span — This type of cable-stayed bridge has over three spans. It is a highly complex type
of bridge because loads are not anchored back close to the end abutments. This also makes the
structure less rigid which necessitates other design solutions such as multi-legged frame towers and
cross-bracing stays.
 Extra-dosed — This type of cable-stayed bridge has a more rigid and powerful deck, and the cables
are attached to the deck further from the towers which are also lower than standard bridges.
 Cable-Stayed Cradle-System — This type of cable-stayed bridge is one of the most sophisticated
types. It has a “cradle system”, which supports the strands within the stays from the one bridge deck
to another. These cables are uninterrupted which means that the bridge does not have to be
anchored and pylons and cables can be regularly removed and inspected.

1.5. Advantages

1. Cable-stayed bridges take less time to complete than other options.

2. The strength of a cable-stayed bridge is unquestionable.
3. It can be significantly cheaper to build a cable-stayed bridge.
4. Cable-stayed bridges can be constructed to almost any length.
5. There are multiple design options from which to choose with a cable-stayed bridge.
1.6. Disadvantages

1. Cable-stayed bridges do have a maximum length to consider.

2. This design option can become unstable in certain environments.
3. Cable-stayed bridges can be challenging to inspect and repair.
4. It is a design that can sometimes be susceptible to rust or corrosion.
5. The strength advantages typically apply to short spans.

1.7. Construction Sequences

Construction of cable-stayed bridges usually follows the cantilever method, so their construction begins
with the sinking of caissons and the erection of towers and anchorages. After the tower is built, one cable and a
section of the deck are constructed in each direction. Each section of the deck is prestressed before continuing.
The process is repeated until the deck sections meet in the middle, where they are connected. The ends are
anchored at the abutments.
1.8. Top 10 bridges of this type worldwide

Jingyue Yangtze River Bridge, China

Jingyue Yangtze River Bridge is the first bridge to connect the city of Yueyang in Hunan with Hubei
province and the first bridge crossing the Yangtze River in Hunan Province. With a main span length of 816m, it
is the world’s ninth longest cable-stayed bridge. The bridge was opened to traffic in November 2010 and has an
overall length of 5,400m. It has a unilateral cable-stayed structure and contains mixed beams and double
towers.

Jiujiang Yangtze River Expressway Bridge, China

The Jiujiang Yangtze River Expressway Bridge, with main span length of 818m and overall length of
1,405m, is the ninth longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The bridge forms part of the 8,462m Fuzhou to
Yinchuan Expressway (Fu yin expressway) and connects Hubei and Jiangxi provinces.

Pont de Normandie, France

The Pont de Normandie, with a main span of 856m, is the world’s seventh longest cable-stayed bridge.
The bridge crosses the river Seine about 15km east of Le Havre, and has an overall length 2,141m. It carries a
two-lane motorway in each direction and links the communes of Le Havre and Honfleur in Normandy. The
bridge also features a cycleway and a pedestrian path in both directions. The bridge began construction in
March 1988 and was opened to traffic in January 1995.
 Tatara Bridge, Japan

The Tatara Bridge spanning the Seto Inland Sea, with a main span length of 890m, is the sixth longest
cable-stayed bridge in the world. The overall length of the bridge is 1,480m and the total width is 30.6m. The
bridge forms part of the Nishiseto Expressway, which is commonly known as the Shimanami Kaido.
Construction of the Tatara bridge started in August 1990 and was completed in May 1999.

Edong Bridge, China

Edong Bridge, with a main span length of 926m across the Yangtze river in Hubei province, is the world’s
the fifth longest cable-stayed bridge. Construction on the nine-span continuous cable-stayed bridge was started
in 2008 and completed in 2010.

Stonecutters Bridge, Hong Kong

The Stonecutters Bridge has an overall length of 1,596m that crosses the Rambler Channel in Hong Kong,
connecting Nam Wan Kok, Tsing Yi Island and Stonecutters Island. Its main span length of 1,018m makes it the
fourth longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. Construction of the Stonecutters Bridge commenced in 2004
and the bridge was opened to traffic in December 2009. The bridge carries three lanes in each direction and
has two concrete and stainless-steel towers measuring 298m-high.
 Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, China

The Sutong Yangtze River Bridge’s main span measures 1,088m long, while the overall length is 6,000m.
The bridge connects the cities of Suzhou and Nantong. The bridge was officially opened in June 2008 and
contains six traffic lanes including emergency lanes. Supported on bored piles, the bridge’s two towers are
more than 300m high. The main span is supported by 272 stay cables with lengths of up to 578m. More than
32.2km of cables built from 200,000t of steel were used for the bridge construction.

Hutong Yangtze River Bridge, China

The construction of the second 330-meter-tall tower for one of the world’s largest cable-stayed bridges was
completed in east China’s Jiangsu Province on June 2020. The 11,072-meter-long Hutong Yangtze River
Bridge, linking the cities of Nantong and Suzhou, is designed with a main span of 1,092 meters, making it the
world’s first road-rail cable-stayed bridge with a span over 1,000 meters. The bridge has a 6-lane expressway
on the upper deck and four railway tracks on the lower deck that was opened the following month.

Russky Island Bridge, Russia

The Russky Island Bridge is the world’s second longest cable-stayed bridge having a main span of 1,104m
that Russky Island with the city of Vladivostok in Russia. It comprises 11 spans with a combined length of
1,885m, while the overall length, including viaducts, is 3,100m. The bridge’s construction started in the third
quarter of 2008 and traffic was allowed from July 2012. The bridge is made up of two lanes in each direction,
with its two concrete towers possessing a height of 321m. The longest and shortest cable stays of the bridge
are respectively 579.83m and 135.77m-long.
 JiaShao (Jiaxing-Shaoxing) Bridge, China

JiaShao Bridge, spanning the Qiantang River at the mouth of Hangzhou Bay in China, is the world’s
longest cable-stayed bridge is the 2,680m (main span). The bridge forms part of the 69.5km Jiaxing-Shaoxing
River-crossing Expressway and consists of eight traffic lanes. The bridge is 55.6m wide and features six
single-column pylons. It was opened to traffic in July 2013.

1.9 Top 3 Local Cable-Stayed Bridges

Macapagal Bridge

The Macapagal Bridge is a steel cable-stayed bridge along Butuan, Agusan del Norte that crosses the
Agusan River. It has a length of 908 m (2,979 ft), making it the longest bridge in Mindanao, and the
second-longest cable-stayed bridge in the Philippines after the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. Macapagal Bridge was
officially named after Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal when it was inaugurated in 2007.

Marcelo Fernan Bridge

Marcelo Fernan Bridge is an extradosed link stayed extension having an all-out length of 1237 meters
(4058.40 feet) with a middle range of 185 meters. It was known as the Consolacion Bridge, named after the
Municipality of Consolacion, which is 2.6 kilometers from the north end of the extension. Marcelo Fernan Bridge
was opened in August 1999 to decongest the traffic from the more seasoned Mactan–Mandaue Bridge. The
scaffold is one of the amplest and longest extension ranges in the Philippines.
 Cebu–Cordava Bridge

The Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), also known as the Cebu–Cordova Bridge is a toll bridge
expressway under-construction in Metro Cebu, Philippines which will link Cebu City and Cordova. The bridge
will span 8 kilometers making it the new longest and tallest bridge in the Philippines, surpassing the San
Juanico Bridge in Leyte and Samar. The 390-meter-long main span of the CCLEX will be cable-stayed and will
be supported by 145-meter-high twin tower pylons. The design of the pylons was inspired from the
historic Magellan's Cross. The main span will have a 51 meters navigation clearance, which allow ships to
traverse the bridge. Viaduct approach bridges and a causeway will also form part of the CCLEX, as well as toll
road facilities on an artificial island. The toll facilities' design are inspired from the eight-rayed sun of
the Philippine flag.