Behavior analysis of innovative steel pedestrian bridges using prestressed strings

Abstract

Suspension, cable‐stayed, and buttressed systems are widely used in pedestrian bridges. While they offer clear advantages, they also exhibit increased deformability under asymmetric loads. A key load‐bearing element in such bridges is the stiffening beam, which limits these displacements through bending stiffness. To improve efficiency and sustainability, it is important to explore new structural solutions that reduce beam mass and enable prestressing. This article presents three innovative steel pedestrian bridge forms that replace conventional stiffening beams with pre‐stressed strings: under‐deck cable‐stayed‐string, suspension‐string, and cable‐stayed‐string bridges. The structural behavior of these systems under symmetric and asymmetric loads is investigated through experimental and numerical analysis. The results show that prestressed strings can effectively replace traditional stiffening beams. They not only fulfill the same structural functions but also significantly reduce the mass of load‐bearing elements and help control displacements caused by asymmetric loading.