Cable-stayed bridge range within which cantilever bridges would rapidly grow heavier, and suspension bridge cabling would be more costly. Cable-stayed bridges have been known since the 16th century and used widely since the 19th. Early examples often combined features from both the cable-stayed and suspension designs, including the Brooklyn Bridge. The design fell from favor through the 20th century as larger gaps were bridged using pure suspension designs, and shorter ones using various systems built of reinforced concrete. It once again rose to prominence in the later 20th century when the combination of new materials, larger construction machinery, and the need to
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