Tension-tension behaviour of 8-strand ropes

The most detailed tension-tension tests to date have been conducted with spiral strands and with 6-strand Warrington-Seale ropes. Round strand ropes had either a fibre or an independent steel wire rope core. Tension-tension tests with 8-strand ropes are not very common. The tension-tension behaviour of special wires ropes (e.g. compacted ropes, ropes with a double parallel design, ropes with a plastic coated core, etc.) are to a large extent unknown. In previous evaluations, which were primarily conducted to investigate wire surface finish and nominal tensile grade of the rope samples, it was not determined how these other parameters affect the tensiontension behaviour of the ropes. For rope selection in applications with high tensiontension loading, e.g. anchor lines, it is desirable to know the influence of different rope specifications on the tensile fatigue performance under fluctuating load. In the following an investigation is reported in which 8-strand special wire ropes of different specifications (i.e. compaction, lay configuration, wire finish, wire nominal tensile grade) have been subjected to a range of tension-tension tests. The test results are evaluated in such a way so as to highlight the influence of the different rope specifications in a clear manner. Thus, an assessment of a rope specification is possible as regards its tension-tension behaviour.

Author: U. Briem