On the effects of uniform temperature variations on stay cables

The present paper is concerned with the analysis of thermal effects on both static and dynamic mechanical behaviors of inclined elastic stay cables used in cable-stayed structures. Based on the elastic catenary cable theory, a nonlinear analytical approach is proposed in order to calculate variations of stay cables’ tensions under uniform temperature changes. Making use of simplifying assumptions, the influence of temperature variations on the free undamped vibration of stay cables is also investigated. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed approach are demonstrated by comparing model results with monitoring data measured on stay cables of the Rades-La Goulette cable-stayed bridge in Tunisia