Technical aspects of cables stayed bridges Essay

Technical aspects of cables stayed bridges - Essay Example In simple terms, cable-stayed bridges carry mainly vertical loads that act on the girder. Immediate support for the girder is provided by the stay cables so that the bridge can extend over a long distance. Basically, the structure of a cable-stayed bridge is such that it is constructed of a series of overlapping triangles made up of the tower, the pylon, the girder and the cables, which are usually under axial forces, and are considered flexural and efficient. The cables are always under tension whereas the girder and the pylon are under compression. This report looks at the history of cable stay bridges, examines the configuration and design structure, technical requirements, offers a description of various bridge structures and an analysis of the bridge structures. The report concludes by offering recommendations for stay-cable design, installation and testing. Introduction A first glance at cable-stayed bridges raises some interesting questions from both the public and bridge engi neers, who find them technically challenging and innovative, as well as the architects. The cable-stayed bridges attracted public attention when the Stromsund Bridge in Sweden was completed. ... Basically, the structure of a cable-stayed bridge is such that, it is made up of a series of overlapping triangles, made up of the tower, the pylon, the girder and the cables, which are usually under axial forces, and are usually considered flexural and efficient. The cables are always under tension whereas the girder and the pylon, under compression (Dayaratnam 2000). Overtime, cable-stayed bridges have become very popular in bridge engineering; there are more than seven hundred cable-stayed bridges in the world today. With advancement in technology and architectural design, the length of cable-stayed bridges has significantly increased over the years. For instance, the first major cable-stayed bridge built in 1955, the Stromsund Bridge in Sweden, spanned 183m; in the 1970’s, the Neuenkamp bridge in Germany spanned 350m and was considered the longest one then until the 1980s when another bridge, the Alex Fraser-Annacis Island bridge, spanned 465m was completed (Denney Pate & Rohleder, Jr., 2008). This was, however, surpassed in 1994 by the Normandie bridge that spanned 856m. Today, the longest span cable-stayd bridge is the Russky Bridge, in Vladivostok, Russia, spanning 1,104m, completed in 2012 (Svensson 2012). Configuration of Cable-Stayed Bridges The concept of cable-stayed bridges as illustrated in Figure 1 was that cable suspension was to be used to replace piers as intermediary support for girder, so that it could withstand the vertical load over a long span or distance (Morgenthal & Yamasaki 2010). As a result, the first cable-stayed bridges spaced stay cables far apart based on the maximum girder strength. The

Reflective Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Exercise - Essay Example In addition, the reflection would evaluate the emergence and improvement of new skills. Finally, the discourse would stipulate how this learning can be transferred into skills for one’s future including employability. The course on international marketing provided enriching theoretical perspectives affecting global organizations. The key players were clearly identified; the factors shaping the international business environment were highlighted; the risks and ethical issues were discussed; among a host of other relevant concerns. I realized that managing corporate culture is a skill which every global corporation should learn since culture change is a complex and long process involving coordinated efforts by the head office which is very visible to host branches. While many practitioners and academicians aver that management theories and principles are similar throughout the world, their application varies from one country to another due to varied cultural systems. Others observe that cultural differences make it inappropriate to take management theories and practices from the cultures in which they were developed and apply them to another culture. In addition, I was made more aware that managing diversity should incorporate variables which are critical in operating on a global scale. In designing the organizational structure for international operations, the structure should meet both the strategies of the home office and the requirements of the local market. As such, the structure should be contingency based, taking into account the variables of that particular system at that specific point in time. The most important variables to consider are the firm’s strategy, size, technology, and environment of those countries in which the country operates. Further, I learned that other relevant variables that need to be considered when managing the team in the company’s operations are: geographic dispersion, time differences, language, culture and