An Improved Method for the Numerical Solution of the Suspension Bridge Deflection Equations*

(the prime indicates differentiation with respect to x). P(x) and Q(x) (positive downward) are the live load per unit length and the dead load of the roadway, cable, and hangers per unit length. E and / (assumed constants) are the modulus of elasticity and moment of inertia of the roadway and H (constant) is the horizontal dead-load tension in the cable. The term h (constant), the induced live-load tension, depends on the vertical deflection w(x) as follows (cf. [1]) :