Open Access

ARTICLE

Seismic Responses Study of a Novel Main-Cable-Looped Suspension Bridge with Ground-Anchored Rods

Yu Wang¹, Yao Song², Hongyong Yang¹, Yu Zhu², Jian Xu², Dehao Ding², Huahuai Sun^3,*, Shunyao Cai⁴
1 Henan Transport Investment Group Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou, 450046, China
2 CCCC Second Highway Consultants Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430056, China
3 School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, China
4 Department of Construction Management, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
* Corresponding Author: Huahuai Sun. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Applications for Bridge Structures)

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring https://doi.org/10.32604/sdhm.2025.073132

Received 11 September 2025; Accepted 30 October 2025; Published online 28 November 2025

Abstract

Long-span suspension bridges are inherently vulnerable to earthquakes due to their low stiffness and damping. A novel design, the main-cable-looped (MCL) suspension bridge, features a looped main cable that alters the structure’s load transfer mechanism. The seismic response of this novel bridge type is not well understood, creating an urgent need for investigation to ensure its safety and performance. The global finite element model of this bridge was established by considering the interdependent behavior of the structure and the underlying soil. Based on the design seismic response spectrum, ground motion accelerations were selected, and the peak ground acceleration (PGA) was adjusted. The nonlinear time-history analysis method was adopted to calculate seismic responses of the novel MCL suspension bridge. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effects of the PGA of seismic ground motion and the longitudinal position of ground-anchored rods on seismic responses of the novel suspension bridge. The research results show that under different seismic excitations with a design PGA of 0.1 g, the maximum longitudinal displacement at the tower top is 0.097 m, the maximum bending moment at the tower base reaches 2.20 × 10⁵ kN m, the maximum longitudinal displacement at the girder free end is 0.022 m, and the maximum vertical displacement at the girder mid-span is 0.647 m. The seismic performance of the novel MCL suspension bridge meets the specified design requirements, as it remains in the elastic working stage without material yielding or stiffness degradation. The PGA of seismic ground motion has a profound influence, with the structural response of the bridge tower and girder increasing linearly as PGA increases. An increase in PGA from 0.1 g to 0.35 g results in a 5.6% increase in the maximum longitudinal displacement at the tower top, a 21.8% increase in the maximum bending moment at the tower base, a 68.7% increase in the maximum longitudinal displacement at the girder free end, and a 0.6% increase in the maximum vertical displacement at the girder mid-span. Furthermore, the longitudinal position of ground-anchored rods was also found to be critical, with the structural responses of the bridge tower and girder exhibiting a nonlinear relationship with the longitudinal distance between the ground-anchored rods and the rotating saddle. The optimal longitudinal position of the ground-anchored rods is found to be as close as possible to the rotating saddle. These findings elucidate the seismic behavior mechanisms and provide critical quantitative guidance for the seismic design of MCL suspension bridges.

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Keywords

MCL suspension bridge; earthquake action; ground-anchored rods; finite element transient analysis; seismic responses

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