The Indian River Inlet bridge: changing from a single rib tied arch to a cable-stayed design

Abstract

The University of Delaware's Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering (CIBrE) developed an instrumentation and monitoring program for a proposed 1,000 foot concrete tied arch bridge over the Indian River Inlet in Southern Delaware. That bridge will not be built due to budgetary constraints, however, a new bridge is still needed. It is believed that the new bridge, which will be instrumented and monitored by CIBrE, will be a cable-stayed bridge. ☐ This thesis examines the Indian River Inlet site, the proposed arch bridge and instrumentation plan, and cable-stayed bridge related issues. The Indian River Inlet site and the proposed arch bridge are introduced. The expectation of a cable-stayed bridge being built at the inlet is explained. The history and evolution of cable-stayed bridges are examined. Terminology and structural systems relevant to modern cable-stayed bridges are introduced. Behavior of cable-stayed bridges is explored through use of simplified models which represent the limiting conditions of actual bridges. The phenomenon of stay-cable vibration is also discussed briefly. Finally, conclusions about the behavior of cable-stayed bridges and how that relates to the monitoring of a cable-stayed bridge at the Indian River Inlet site are made.