# suspended cable tension



## ngandy1000 (Jul 28, 2006)

a coworker asked me if i knew how to select a steel cable that will be suspended at different elevations and calculate the tension caused by its own weight. i said that i didn't and felt really stupid even though my specialty was water resources. does anyone here know how to do this?


----------



## NSEARCH (Jul 28, 2006)

If you know the weight (mass) of the material it would be equal to

W=m*g

g = gravity :cig:


----------



## ngandy1000 (Jul 28, 2006)

that was my first thought at well, but i think that's only true if the cable was just being hung from one end. i'm looking to select a cable thickness based on a certain distance and anchored at two elevations.


----------



## petermcc (Jul 28, 2006)

:brick:

This is a catenary problem. Here is a spreadsheet to calculate the tension in the cable. Chapter 41 in CERM has a little discussion on cables.

:MIG:


----------



## petermcc (Jul 28, 2006)

:suicide: the file.....CATENARY.XLS


----------



## EdinNO (Jul 28, 2006)

How did you attach the Excel file?

Was it similar to attaching a pic?

Ed


----------



## petermcc (Jul 29, 2006)

:thumbsup:

I used the file attachment box ....


----------



## ngandy1000 (Jul 31, 2006)

i think that was what i was looking for. did you make that spreadsheet yourself or is there a resource to get others like it? really appreciate it!


----------



## petermcc (Jul 31, 2006)

I got it off the internet.

:beerchug


----------

