Our Expertise | CIVIL ENGINEERING

Lateral Buckling Analysis of a Cable-Stayed Arch

A brilliant example of how computer aided engineering can assist engineers to contrive an optimal solution to the problem of lateral buckling

Cable-Stayed Arch - A slender cable-stayed arch and a central box girder deck with lateral cantilevers stand as the main structural elements of the bridge <br>Photo: © Gabrielesupertramp - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons wikimedia
Cable-Stayed Arch - A slender cable-stayed arch and a central box girder deck with lateral cantilevers stand as the main structural elements of the bridge
Photo: © Gabrielesupertramp - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons wikimedia

Abstract

The stability phenomenon of the lateral buckling of a cable-stayed arch imposes restrictions on the design of the arch itself. The cable-stayed arch on one of the three bridges designed by Santiago Calatrava in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is a brilliant example of how computer aided engineering can assist engineers to contrive an optimal solution to the problem of lateral buckling.

The bridge, a major engineering feat by any measure, fulfills the aim of solving road network issues in and out of the city whilst creating a majestic and aesthetically pleasing landmark. The design was not simple. Since the results of data analysis could cause a rethink in design, it was extremely important to address lateral buckling and cable failure scenarios in the early stages of the project.

The three bridges stand majestically across the busy Autostrada del sole (A1), a major freeway joining Northern and Southern Italy and the new high speed railway tracks. They represent an architectural masterpiece that was designed by the world renowned architect Santiago Calatrava who received the prestigious European Steel Design Award for this design.

The steel construction was the work of Cimolai S.p.A., a leader in the European steel manufacturing industry, who entrusted Enginsoft with the verification of the global and detail finite element analysis before construction of the main bridge.

Cable-Stayed Arch

A slender cable-stayed arch and a central box girder deck with lateral cantilevers stand as the main structural elements of the bridge

Find out more

software

Straus7

Making finite element analysis easier

Straus7's fully-integrated visual environment - combined with a suite of powerful solvers - gives you unparalleled functionality in a single application. Construct models, run analyses and investigate results simultaneously using a seamless interface.

straus7

Read more  

NEWSROOM

Stay connected with us: news, analysis and trends from our experts.

Newsroom  

MEDIA CENTER

Scroll through our Media Center to view all the videos, video-tutorials and recorded webinars.

Media Center  

CASE STUDY

Simulating fire extinguishing equipment for historical buildings with Particleworks and Granuleworks

Studies of three methods: a water discharge gun, a drencher, and a firefighting drone

This article presents simulation examples for three types of firefighting equipment for cultural heritage buildings using Particleworks, a CFD software based on the Moving Particle Simulation (MPS) method: a water discharge gun, a drencher, and a firefighting drone.

particleworks civil-engineering

Read more