Displacement of a cable in tension

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the horizontal deflection U of a vertically tensioned cable under an additional horizontal load at its midpoint, one approach is to treat the cable like a beam with fixed ends and a central load. The stiffness of the cable is crucial, as it varies based on the cable's composition, which may not be uniform. A helpful resource was found that provides relevant formulas for such problems. Additionally, applying the string equation using the formula FL/AE could yield results, assuming the cable is made from a homogeneous elastic material. This discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding material properties in tension calculations.
andrewforsyth
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I have been stumped by this problem...

If you have a vertial cable under tension of say 800N and you apply a horizontal tension at its mid point (node A), how can you calculate the horizontal deflection U of node A??

Can't wait to solve this!

A
 
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As a first pass I'd treat it like any other beam with fixed ends and a concentrated load in the center. The trick is to calculate the stiffness of the cable. This could really depend on the make up of the cable since most cables are not homogeneous and isotropic.

In a quicker solution, I just did a search:
http://www.hago.org.uk/faqs/formulae-2.html
 
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That was a really helpful link, esp with such a short description of the problem. Thanks. I wonder if maybe the same string equation could be applied but using FL/AE. Assuming homogeneous elastic material was used for the cable.

Thanks again.
 

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