Main cable

A suspension bridge’s principal tension member, carrying loads from the deck through suspenders to the towers and anchorages.

Suspender: A vertical hanger that connects a suspension bridge’s deck or floor system to its main cable. Suspenders transfer deck loads into the main cable at intervals along the span.
Tension: An internal force that pulls apart the ends of a material or structural member. The main cable carries bridge loads primarily as tensile force.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge: A Japanese suspension bridge spanning the Akashi Strait between Kobe and Awaji Island. Its record-length main span illustrates the demands placed on very large bridge cables.
Cable-stayed bridge: A bridge whose deck is supported directly by inclined cables connected to towers. Unlike a suspension bridge, it has no main cable carrying separate vertical suspenders.
Cable saddle: A shaped bearing atop a suspension bridge tower that supports and guides its main cable. The saddle lets the main cable pass over the tower while transmitting vertical force.
Dead load: The weight of a structure and its permanently attached components. The main cable must support the deck’s permanent weight even without traffic.
Brooklyn Bridge: A New York City suspension bridge completed in 1883, designed by John A. Roebling and Washington Roebling. Its steel-wire main cables marked a major development in suspension-bridge construction.
Tied-arch bridge: An arch bridge in which a horizontal tie carries the arch’s outward thrust. Its tie resists horizontal forces internally rather than relying on cable anchorages.
Cable anchorage: A structure that secures a cable and transfers its tensile force into the ground or another structural member. At each end, the anchorage resists the main cable’s large horizontal pull.
Live load: A temporary or moving load on a structure, such as vehicles, pedestrians, or wind effects. Traffic changes the load distributed through suspenders into the cable.

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