Nonlinear models of suspension bridges

Nonlinear variational equations describing one type of suspension bridges are proposed and studied. The variational equations describe the behaviour of road bed, main cables and cable stays. The road bed is described by two functions connected with vertical and horizontal deformation of any cross section. The main cable is considered to be perfectly flexible and inextensible. The cable stays only resist tensile forces. The variational equations are derived from the principle of minimum potential energy. The existence of solution is based on the Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem. The local uniqueness and continuous dependence on the data represented by gravitational forces acting on the road bed are studied. The local results are based on the Implicit Function Theorem for Banach spaces. A certain stability criterion for suspension bridges is formulated and this criterion indicates how to influence the stability of suspension bridges. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved