Experimental and Numerical Study of Cable Anchorage for Cable-Supported Bridge

In this study, a 1:2 scaled-model experiment of a cable anchorage was performed. The data collected from the experiment were analyzed, and a finite element analysis (FEA) shell model was described and compared with the experimental results to estimate the level of residual stress and to study its influence together with stress concentration. The ultimate capacity and the failure mode were discussed further to clarify the mechanical behavior. The research showed that residual stress was high on some local areas of the anchorage; residual stress and stress concentration would influence local stress distribution but would have little impact on global behavior. FEA was not a perfect substitute for experiments because of the inaccuracy of its stress results in local areas subject to residual stress and stress concentration. Global behavior and ultimate capacity from elastic–plastic FEA were reliable, however. Judging from the plastic strain and the area of yielding region, other than local maximum stress, the failure mode of the cable anchorage was not the local yielding of the diaphragm but the complete yielding on the anchor plate.