Cable, as a structural element, has many advantages oker other types of structural systems on account of efncient utilization of material, casy and speedy construction ete. Suspended systems, mostly made out of cables, are being used increasingly for the support of long span roofs to cover large columa free spaces. These systems, being flexible in nature, can be moulded to any architeptural shape desired for dlegancs and possess high degree of aesthetic potential as evidenced by many famous examples, the most recent being the cable roof systems at Munich Olympics 1972.
The characteristics of cable suspended structures have made an attractive proposition for covering large column free areas but, on the other hand, beoause of its flexible form, these systoms have a disadvantage of inherent instability under dynamic forces of wind, blasts or earthquakes. An oscillatory motion is caused by dynamic force of wind giving rise to the flutter phenomenon. This in a way tends to dumage the roofing material over the suspended systeins. In flutter, foreing funotion i time dependent and requires the study of critical wind velocity and the dynamie response of structure at this oritical velocity.