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
Cable fairing Cable fairing A cable fairing is a structure attached to a towed cable designed to streamline the flow around the cable, primarily in marine environments. Cables are faired primarily for two reasons: (1) to reduce normal drag and thus achieve more depth for a given cable scope and speed; and (2) to eliminate cable vibration caused by vortex shedding, commonly known as cable strum. There are several major types of cable fairing: All cables (faired or unfaired) have hydrodynamic loading functions. These describe the variation in drag coefficient as a function of angle formula_1 with respect to the flow. As