On a nonlinear nonlocal hyperbolic system modeling suspension bridges

Abstract

We suggest a new model for the dynamics of a suspension bridge through a system of nonlinear nonlocal hyperbolic differential equations. The equations are of second and fourth order in space and describe the behavior of the main components of the bridge: the deck, the sustaining cables and the connecting hangers. We perform a careful energy balance and we derive the equations from a variational principle. We then prove existence and uniqueness for the resulting problem.