Cables have undergone great change. In the past they served merely as structural members with high strength characteristics; now cables have become advanced components with multiple features such as controlled dynamics, enhanced environmental durability and sensing ability. These enhancements are the result of a variety of different technologies based on a growing understanding of cable dynamics.

The present article summarizes the basics of cable dynamics and control systems modeling particularly with reference to suspended cables, stays and stayed-structures. The control strategies are discussed in terms of both the continuous cable model and its reduced representation in an appropriate discrete basis. The fundamental concepts within the field of cable engineering of passive, semi-active and active control are discussed, as well as different types of control strategies evidencing the peculiar interaction between inherent cable nonlinear dynamics and the control design process.

Return to the contents page
Return to the book description