The Inspection of Crane Wire Ropes in Moroccan Service: Discard Criteria and Monitoring Procedure

The reliable and safe use of wire rope is crucial for crane operations. Wire rope is a very useful and long lasting structural element when properly used and maintained. Therefore, wire rope safety is (or should be) a constant concern of wire rope operators and safety authorities. Safe use of the crane wire ropes depends directly on the rope condition, and on the in-time and reliable rope inspection. This study is focused on the failure analysis of crane wire ropes in service in Morocco. Wire defects and condition of a lifting rope have been studied and presented in this paper. Special attention is given to conditions that can lead to internal damage such as broken wires, wear as well as corrosion. Various nondestructive tests methods have been used in this application for wire ropes control such as visual inspection, radiographic and electromagnetic. The results of the nondestructive testing have made it possible to determine the safety status of a rope and establish preventive maintenance procedures to extend the useful life of a rope. It is concluded that maintenance, inspection and discard policy must be determined in recognition of the degradation mechanisms that operate in different rope applications. Index Terms—Wire rope, Degradation mechanisms, Nondestructive methods, Electromagnetic inspection, Discard criteria, Safety, Maintenance.