The invention relates to a progressive health monitoring method for a cable system based on cable force monitoring during support settlement; the method based on the cable monitoring decides whether a mechanical calculation standard model of a structure needs to be updated again or not through the coordinates of the support of a monitoring structure, and considers that the linear relationship between the current numerical value vector of the monitored quantity and the initial numerical value vector of the monitored quantity, the changing matrix of the unit damage monitored quantity and the current nominal damage vector is approximated; in order to overcome the defect; the invention provides a method which piecewise approximates to the non-linear relationship by using the linear relationship and divides a big interval into a continuous one-by-one small minimal intervals; the linear relationship in each minimal interval is enough accurate; the noninferior solution of the current cable damage vector can be figured out by using appropriate algorithms such as a multiple target optimization algorithm in each minimal interval; and accordingly, the position and the damage degree of the damage cable can be accurately determined.