Tension Structures

Also known as tensile structures, tension structure is a construction of elements carrying only tension and no compression or bending. Tensile membrane structures are most often used as roofs as they can economically and attractively span large distance. Included in this group are compressive shells, tensile cable networks and air supported tensilemembranes structures.

Tension Structure

hangers

The cable- stayed bridge uses straight cables or rods to reduce the bending in the bridge deck

Tensile Roof

Millenium (O2) Dome

Renault Building, Swindon

Air-supported Structures

Surface Structures

Folded plates

Strength through shape

Grandstands

Northlight roof- avoid glare

Hyperbolic Paraboloids

HP Roofs

Cooling Towers

THTR 300 Thorium hightemperature nuclear reactor

Modern natural shapes

Surface structures with stiffness

Modern steel fabrication

The design of axially loaded ties

Ties (members in tension) are the simplest of all

members to design. The load required to break a tie is directly proportional to its cross- sectional area. Effective area, Ae design load/ design strength

Ties containing holes

Effective area = (width bolt diameter) x

thickness
a2 Angle as ties Effective area = (3a1a2/3a1 + a2 a1 a1 )+

Example 1
A tie member in a pin jointed frame structure must support a design load of 72 kN tension. Determine the required width of 6 mm thick flat mild steel bar. (Answer : 50 mm x 6 mm)
72 kN

Example 2
Figure below shows part of a tower crane where the counterweight is supported by inclined tie as shown. The characteristic dead load of the counterweight is 150 kN. Ignore the self weight of the crane structure and other loads that may be acting. Determine: 6m a. The design tensile force in tie b. The required width of a 20 mm thick mild steel tie if is to contain a 8m single row of 27 mm diameter bolt holes (Answer : 100 mm x 20 mm)

Example 3
Determine the dimensions of a standard mild steel equal angle to support a design load of 210 kN if it contains 22 mm diameter bolt holes in one leg only. (Answer: 90 x 90 x 7 angle)

Exercises
A mild steel tie member is required to support a design tensile load of 150 kN. Compare the steel area required of the following two options: a) A 5 mm thick flat bar with a single row of 22 mm diameter holes of bolts(round up width to the nearest 5 mm) b) An equal angle with only one leg of the angle welded to form the connection.

Cable structures
Cable structure can be exciting,

lightweight and highly efficient. It is usual to use cables made from a very high grade steel. A key feature of all design involving cables is that they are assumed to support only tensile loads. Cable structures can be divided into two main classes such as i) Lightweight cables with point loads ii) Heavy cables with uniform loads

Example 3(Lightweight cables with point loads)

Figure shows a cable structure supporting overhead electric railway lines. The loads are as follows: Each insulated hanger weighs an estimated 60 kg Each hanger supports a conducting line weighing 20 kg There is the possibility of an extra imposed load on each conducting line from snow and ice of 400 N. All other loads, including the self-weight of the supporting cable, may be considered to be negligible. Find: a. The design point loads b. The unknown dimension x c. The tensile force throughout the supporting cable d. The required diameter of cable. (Assume an

A cable structure supporting overhead electric railway lines.

Solution
a) The design point loads Design dead load = 9.81 x (60 + 20) x 1.4 = 1099 N Design imposed load = 400 x 1.6 = 640 N Total for each point load = 1739 N say = 1.74 RFV RAV kN RFH RAH F A b) The unknown dimension x & tensile forces x E B C 0.5 m throughout the supporting cables D
1.74 kN 1.74 kN 1.74 kN 1.74 kN

Solution
Point C
FCB C FCD lBC = (2.52 + 0.52) = 2.55 m (V = 0) (H = 0) 1.74 kN FCB x (0.5/2.55) = 1.74 FCB = 8.87 kN FCD = 8.87 x (2.5/ 2.55) FCD = 8. 7 kN

Solution
Point B
FBA Dimension ,x = 2 x 0.5 = 1.0 m

B
8.87 kN 1.74 kN

lAB = (2.52 + 1.02) = 2.69 m (H = 0) FBA x (2.5/2.69) = 8.87 x (2.5/ 2.55) FBA = 9.36 kN

Solution
d) The required diameter of cable Design stress = 1570 /5 = 314 N/mm2 Area of cable required = Max force/ Stress = 9.36 x 103 / 314 = 29.8 mm2 Cable diameter = 6.16 mm Use 7 mm diameter cable

Example 4: Heavy cables with uniform loads

Figure shows the Bosphorous Bridge in Turkey. The main cables are made up from a bundle of small wire.

1074 m

Anchor block

Example 4: Heavy cables with uniform loads

The following data applies : Central span, L = 1074 m Height of cable rise, D = 95 m Concrete anchor blocks = 42.0 m x 20.0 m x 12.0 m Slope of cables at towers = same angle both sides of tower Number of main cables =2 Ultimate strength of cables = 1590 N/mm2 Diameter of wires = 5 mm Number of wires = 10412 Dead load (cables + deck),Gk = 147 kN/m Imposed load, Qk = 20.3 kN/m

Example 4: Heavy cables with uniform loads

Determine: a. The design load for the suspended part of the structure b. The total compression load, P, in one supporting tower c. The maximum force, T, in the cable d. The value of the partial safety factor for material strength, m, in the cable at full load. e. The factor of safety against vertical uplift of an anchor block.

Solution

RCH RCV

RCH

RCV

Solution
a) The design load for the suspended part of the

structure Design load = (1.4 x 147) + (1.6 x 20.3) = 238.8 kN/m b) The total compression load, P, in one supporting tower RCV = wl/2 = (238.8 x 1074)/2 = 128 236 kN Load in tower = 2 x 128 236 = 256 472 kN c) The maximum force, T, in the cable RCH= wl2/8D = (238.8 x 10742)/(8x 95) = 362 434 kN
2 2 2

Solution
Maximum cable force = 192 230 kN d) The value of the partial safety factor for material strength, m, in the cable at full load. Area of steel in cable = x 2.52 x 10 412 = 204 466 mm2 Stress = Force/Area = 192 230 x 103/204 466 = 940 N/mm2 m = 1590/ 940 = 1.69

Solution
e) The factor of safety against vertical uplift of an anchor block. The unit weight of concrete is 24 kN/m3 Weight of anchor block = 42 x 20 x 12 x 24 = 241 920 kN RDV in one cable = 128 236/2 = 64 118 kN Factor of safety against uplift = 241 920/64 118 = 3.77