Simulation of the construction of cable-stayed bridges

Cable-stayed bridges are ideal for spanning natural barriers of wide rivers, deep valleys, or ravines, and for pedestrian bridges crossing wide interstate highways. Modern construction of cable-stayed bridges makes use of the segmental balanced cantilever techniques and involves many repetitive cycles of placing the concrete segments (both cast-in-place and precast) and supporting cables. It provides a fertile area for the application of computer simulation techniques for the planning and analysis of the process, particularly for studying the interaction of resources used in the construction phase and also for assessing the productivity of the construction processes. This paper employs MicroCYCLONE, a microcomputer-based simulation program, for the modeling and simulation of the construction of two cable-stayed bridges: the Dame Point Bridge in the state of Florida, U.S.A., and the Tsukuhara Bridge in Hyuougo, Japan. The paper will also provide a brief explanation of the suspended long traveler method used on the Tsukuhara Bridge, the simulation models developed to analyze the construction processes, and the results of sensitivity analyses.Key words: simulation, modeling, construction, cable-stayed bridges, resources, productivity, balanced cantilever construction.