Prestressing design method for cable net structures

One of the most important aspects of the design of cable structures is the degree of pre-tensioning, since it affects load bearing capacity, deformability and costs. The prestress state can be attained through jacks or turnbuckles and in both cases may be regarded as the result of a set of imposed distortions. In the present paper a suitable combination of distortions representing the pre-tension level is optimized under stiffness requirements. A good compromise between the expected response to service loads and pre-tension forces (which for instance the cost of anchorages depends on) is aimed for.