Cable dampers

Cable dampers are used as vibration absorbers on cables of cable-stayed bridges to reduce vibrations induced by rain and/or wind. MAURER cable dampers are available in passive and semi-active versions. As passive dampers, these are generally delivered with damping exponents in the range of “1”; and they are optimally tuned to a specific mode. Adaptive systems are able to individually control damper forces in real time. This is done via a controlled solenoid valve. The control signal arrives via an accelerometer on the stay cable and, by means of control electronics, is set in a way that the cable damper always generates the optimum damping for the inherent modes 1 to 5.