Cable is a structure which can be widely used in many applications such as cable-stayed bridges, suspension bridges, gable frame connections as well as roof structure connections, etc. The nonlinear behavior of cable is gainned from its sag due to its own weight and the external applied loads. With an increasing axial load, the elongation of the cable is increased but the total cable sag is decreased.

In the recent years, the advantage of computer technology has been taken to solve the complex structural problems such as geometric, material as well as contact, nonlinearities. In finite element analysis, cable structures have always been discretizated and been considered as truss elements. The nonlinear cable profile and the nonlinear cable behavior are always ignored.

In this paper, the Modified Bell Function has been used to estimate more accurate cable profile and the characteristics of cable deformation subjected to its external applied loads and its own weight for suspension bridges. The catenary cable subjected to its own weight has also been investigated for the cable-stayed bridges and the side spans of suspension bridges. The results can be used in finite element analysis model as well as the preliminary study for the modified modulus of elasticity of the cables which call also be provided to eliminate cable nonlinearities in numerical analysis.

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