SEMINAR ON

STRESS RIBBON
BRIDGE

Guided by,
Mr.V.Harish(Asst .Prof-Dept of
CE)

By
Sreeraj.S

CONTENTS
Introduction
Features
Structure
Fabrication
Multi spanned
bridges
Concluding notes
Recent
advancements
Some important
bridges

INTRODUCTION

 Uses theory of catenary transmission of loads

Stress ribbon bridge: Modern analogy of rope bridge
Concept introduced by Ulrich Finsterwalder
Suspended concave span and supported convex span

Stress Ribbon Bridge

FEATURES:
Mostly used as Pedestrian bridges
Medium span bridges longest span ever
constructed is 330 ft (about 100m)
Highly stressed freely suspended pre-stressed
tendons
Precast or cast in situ deck slab
No false work needed
Catenary shape or funicular shape

STRUCTURE

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Supports:

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Deck:
Might be pre-fabricated or cast in-situ
Supported by bearing tendons during construction
Prestressing tendons are tensioned to form final
geometric form
Stressed only by normal forces hence might be
reduced by waffles

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Deck:

Lake Hodges Bridge, USA

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Sub structure:
Cables are pre-tensioned by anchoring into support structure,
hence this region is highly stressed.
Abutments transfer horizontal forces from duck cables into
ground via ground anchors.

Stress Ribbon Bridge

GOUND CONDITIONS
Ideal ground condition is a rock base
If soil condition is so poor piles can be used
Combination of anchors and drilled shafts can
also be used
Battered micro piling is another alternative

FABRICATION

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Leviation Stage:

I. Cables are hung from supports

II. Pre cast segments are slided over the bearing tendons to
desired position
III. Segments are joint by cast in-situ composite slabs

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Leviation Stage:

Typical precast segment on bearing cables

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Leviation Stage:

Shifting of precast segment on bearing cables

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Basic Stage:

After sufficient hardening of joints, post tensioning is done

by pre-stressing tendons.
. Shape at this stage determines the final sag in the bridge.

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Service /Ultimate Stage:

Analysis of structure for all service loads is done

MULTI-SPANNED
BRIDGES

Stress Ribbon Bridge

These can be of following types:
(1)
(1)

Concrete or steel columns as intermediate supports

Stress Ribbon Bridge

(2)
(2)

Concrete arch as intermediate supports

MODIFIED STRESS RIBBON BRIDGE

I.

STRESS RIBBON BRIDGES STIFFENED ARCHES

II. STRESS RIBBON BRIDGES STIFFENED BY CABLES

STRESS RIBBON BRIDGES STIFFENED BY ARCHES

Horizontal force in stress ribbon (HSR) and arch (HA) are equal
and opposite
Moment by horizontal forces HSR . h resisted by V.Lp

STRESS RIBBON BRIDGES STIFFENNED BY CABLES

Fig(a) Arch fixed at anchor blocks of slender prestressed

concrete deck
Fig(b&c) stress-ribbon and arch footing connected by

CONCLUDING NOTES
Aesthetic impression
PT concrete minimise cracking and
increase durability
Bearing and expansion joints rarely
required so maintenance and
inspections are minimised
Labour saving erection and short time
delivery
No false work and preservation of

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Advantages:
Can be erected without falsework or shoring
Minimal environmental and visual impact
Minimal long-term maintenance is required
Quick and covenient construction.
Minimum number of piers and shorter piers compared to
suspension bridge

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Disadvantages:
Large horizontal forces at the end and intermediate
supports which determines economy of bridge.
Remedy- i) construction of flexible member close
to
supports
ii) widening of deck at the ends
iii) By modifying support with arches or
cables
Danger of overturning and oscillations due to high
span to width ratio.
Remedy- i) increasing sag
ii) proper dynamic analysis

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Recent advances:
Innovative design uses unidirectional
solid carbon fibre cables (TSC).

Unsupported spans were

significantly increased
Supporting structure was
reduced
Installation time and cost
were reduced by over 80%

Stress Ribbon Bridge

Some important bridges in this category:
Name

Country

MainSpan

Rio Colorado Bridge

Costa Rica

146 m

Lake Hodges Bridge

USA

100.9 m

East Golf Cart Bridge

USA

86.9 m

5) Yumetsuri Bashi Bridge

Japan

147.6m

6) Aaresteg Mlimatt

Switzerland

78 m

7) Glacis Bridge

Germany

76 m

8) Aaresteg Rupperswil

Switzerland

74.05 m

1)
2)
3)
4)

9) Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge

USA
49.5 m
10)
Kent Messenger Millennium Bridge United Kingdom 48 m
Pnt da Suransuns

Switzerland

40 m

Stress Ribbon Bridge

References:
1) Strasky,J.- Stress-ribbon pedestrian bridges supported or suspended on
arches. Brijuni Islands, 10-14 July 2008.
2) Strasky,J.: Precast stress ribbon pedestrian bridges in Czechoslovakia.
PCI JOURNAL, May-June 1987.
3) Strasky,J.: Stress-ribbon pedestrian bridges. International Bridge
Conference. Pittsburgh 1999.
4) Nakazawa, Tsutsumi, Yokota- Experimental study on dynamic
characteristics of Stress-Ribbon bridge. Ninth world Conference on
Earthquake Engineering, JAPAN, Aug 2-9, 1988.
5) Strasky,J.: Stress ribbon and cable supported Pedestrian bridges

THANK YOU