Humber Bridge hanger replacements and testing

The Humber Bridge is an iconic Grade 1 listed structure, which remains one of the longest single-span suspension bridges in the world. It has a main span of 1410 m and a total span length of 2220 m. The bridge deck is connected to the main suspension cables by spiral wire rope hangers with socketed end connections. In this paper, the global analysis of the bridge is discussed to identify the predicted stresses in the hangers, which was complicated by the triangulation of the hangers. The paper then covers the selection of three trial hangers to be replaced, the specification of the replacement hangers and the testing specified to determine the residual life of the original hangers. The design, fabrication and installation of the works involved in replacing the hangers is described and the paper concludes with a discussion of the results of the hanger testing and how this has informed the strategy for management of the remaining hangers.