The dissertation was defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defence Council of the Scientific Field of Civil Engineering in the Aula Doctoralis Meeting Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 9 a.m. on 6 June 2025.
Cable-stayed bridges are a type of bridge structure with a rich history spanning a couple of centuries. They are known for their distinctive architectural expression and ability to span some of the longest distances in the world. It is essential to recognise that beneath the elegant aesthetics of cable-stayed bridges lies a complex interaction of forces that can lead to undesirable behavioral issues. Engineers and scientists actively seek new solutions, design innovative forms of these bridges, and develop methodologies to evaluate them. One such example is the application of pedestrian bridges with intersecting cable-stays. Although these structural solutions show promise, they remain relatively new. It is noted that detailed analysis of bridge behavior and calculation methodologies are lacking. This dissertation examines a novel structural system for a cable-stayed-string steel bridge with intersecting cables and intermediate pylons. Its behavior is investigated through experimental model studies and numerical and analytical analysis. The work aims to develop an innovative pedestrian bridge design with crossed cables and create a calculation methodology for its analysis. The First Chapter provides a brief history of cable-stayed pedestrian bridges, the current research outlook, and a literature review of their structures and load-bearing elements. It also discusses methods for calculating cable-stayed bridges and inclined cables. The Second Chapter introduces the calculation methodology for two types of bridge constructions: one with a stiffening beam and another with a string. The composition of the hybrid cable-stayed-string bridge is performed, and rational parameters are identified. The rational heights and arrangements of pylons are provided. A proposed assembly sequence for construction is provided. The Third Chapter analyses the behaviour of the intersecting cable system using experimental model studies and numerical analysis. It presents the stresses and displacements of symmetrically and asymmetrically loaded bridge systems and compares the results of physical experiments and numerical analyses. The influence of pretensioning in the string and intersecting cable-stays on the bridge structure’s behaviour is demonstrated. The dissertation findings have been published in two scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, and the results of the research conducted in the dissertation have been presented at two scientific conferences.
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