Fundamental Studies on Earthquake Response of a Long Span Suspension Bridge

Abstract

This paper deals theoretically with the earthquake response of a long span suspension bridge. An exact solution of this problem is seldom possible because of the complexity of the structure and the earthquake motions. For the convenience of the analysis a simplified structural system of the suspension bridge with finite degrees of freedom of motion is adopted, and the ground disturbances are assumed to be a simple shape. To simplify the problem, linearized deflection theory of suspension bridges is employed. Some parts of numerical calculation, natural frequencies and modes of the system, had been done on a high speed digital computer. On this investigation some response spectra are given, and the fundamental earthquake response characteristics of the suspension bridge are made clear.