Theory of Wire Rope

This volume is concerned with the various theories of the mechanical behavior of wire rope. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the development of models used to predict the response of ropes. Since there are so many parameters that can vary in the construction of a rope, such models can be used to determine the effects of possible variations of these parameters on the performance of a rope. A list of the uses of wire rope is almost endless. Recent research into possible use of wire strands as braces for teeth is one such example. Wire rope is used to lower men as deep as 16,000 ft in the gold mines of Africa. Many power lines can be regarded as a strand consisting of aluminum wire twisted around a steel center wire. Wire rope is also being considered in superconductivity applications. The approach used in this book is to start out with the equations of equilibrium for a thin curved wire in space. A solution of these equations is found and the result are applied to determine the stresses in a simple strand. These results are then extended to rope with more complex cross sections. Numerous examples are worked out to illustrate the theory.
Test results are also discussed.