Damage and failure of steel wire ropes

Being one of the most important and widely used load-bearing component, steel wire ropes are extensively used in complex systems and environments such as mine hoists, cranes, ropeways, elevators, oil rigs, and cable-stayed bridges The aim of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive literature review of fatigue and fracture of steel wire ropes. Although primarily concerned with the fatigue - fracture behaviour of steel wire ropes, a broad review of literature, right from the microstructure and metallurgy to the ultimate fracture is reported. The production process beginning in furnace to the final product is analysed and the development of microstructure is evaluated right through the process. Then the degradation mechanisms are evaluated, and a vast literature overview is provided for the varying mechanisms like fatigue, corrosion, fretting, and wear. Further on a comprehensive evaluation of the state of the art of testing methods is presented and the shortcomings of the present methods are discussed. And the new advances in the technology of testing are presented which aim to make away with the shortcomings of the present methods. The maintenance and control methods are analysed with respect to industrial standards. The shortcomings are discussed with the help of recent research work done by the experts and the improvement areas are suggested. Finally, the fracture and failure of the wire rope is analysed. Special focus is given to the progressive fracture and the fracture surfaces are dealt with in detail to understand the fatigue regions, the overload regions and the type of fracture whether brittle or ductile.