Behavior Analysis of PPWS Sockets for Suspension Bridges Considering Frictional Contact

Abstract

A sophisticated finite element model is illustrated to analyze the behavior of Prefabricated Parallel Wire Strand(PPWS) sockets for main cables of suspension bridges. An orthotropic model is proposed for the casting material by considering both effects of individual wires and a casting alloy, and the contact between surfaces of a socket and a casting alloy is idealized by using the Coulomb friction and the surface-based contact model. The proposed FE model is verified by comparing the strain distributions obtained from the tensile test and FE analysis. The mechanical behavior of a socket is investigated with respect to the variation of the frictional coefficient. The result shows that the friction between surfaces significantly diminishes the stress concentration of a socket and a casting alloy, and the normal stress from the design equation represents the averaged value of the upper and lower quartiles in the distribution of contact stresses between a socket and a casting alloy.