Cable Structures: Form and Stability

• Tension elements may be used in several ways:
  • Spanning cables
  • Support cables
  • Stability cables
  • Stay cables
  • Stiffening structure

• A spanning cable tends to change shape under changing load and so any cable structure must address the issue of stability, with stability cables in opposite curvature, or stiffening structure such as the truss in the deck of a suspension bridge.

• Wind-induced vibrations and flutter can be particularly damaging, as in the Tacoma-Narrows bridge.

• Relatively small differences in the proportioning and detailing of a structure can significantly influence it's visual and spatial qualities.

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