Suspension bridge types Suspension bridge types A suspension bridge is any type of bridge that makes significant use of tension rather than or in addition to compression. A suspension bridge usually has main cables (else ropes or chains), anchored at each end of the bridge. Any load applied to the bridge is transformed into a tension in these main cables. The earliest suspension bridges had the cables anchored in the ground at either end of the bridge, but some modern suspension bridges anchor the cables to the ends of the bridge itself. The earliest suspension bridges had no towers or piers, but these
All-dielectric self-supporting cable No metal wires are used in an ADSS cable. Optical fibers are either supported in loose buffer tubes, or arranged in a ribbon configuration. To prevent strain on the fibers, most types provide the fibres with excess slack length compared to the length of the supporting member. Several designs of cable are used. In one type, small plastic tubes each containing up to eight fibers are filled with a gel compound, and stranded around plastic rods. The hydrocarbon gel compound prevents water from wicking along the length of the cable. The inner structure is wrapped with polyester tapes and encased