Prediction of axial hysteresis in locked coil ropes

Abstract In published literature, the strand constructions dealt with have almost invariably involved only wires which are circular in cross-section. There are, however, instances when shaped wires are used in, for example, half-lock and full-lock coil constructions. The paper reports details of a theoretical model which enables an insight to be gained into various characteristics of axially loaded lock coil ropes. The model is based on an extension of a previously reported orthotropic sheet concept and provides a fairly simple means of estimating wire kinematics, interwire/interlayer contact forces, effective axial stiffnesses and axial hysteresis in axially preloaded locked coil ropes experiencing uniform cyclic axial load perturbations. The theory takes interwire contact deformations and friction into account. Final numerical results based on theoretical parametric studies on some substantial cables highlight the substantial role that the outermost layer(s) with shaped wires play as regards the overall axial damping capacity of fully bedded-in (old) locked coil ropes, and it is found that (for the same lay angles and outer diameters) axial hysteresis in locked coil ropes is generally higher than spiral strands which are composed of only round wires. This finding may have significant practical implications in terms of the design against dynamic instability of structures supported by such cables.