Finite element analysis of steel wire ropes considering creep and analysis of influencing factors of creep

Abstract In this study, a geometric model of a 7 × 19 steel wire rope with gaps between the wires is established by applying the Frenet frame used in the differential geometry theory. The positions of the point contacts between the wires and strands are determined. A 3-D beam element is used to model the steel wire in the wire rope. Moreover, the point contact element is used to simulate the friction and contact effect between the wires. A fine finite element model of the 7 × 19 steel wire rope is established in ANSYS. The creep constitutive model of the steel wire, which is a modified time-hardening model, is used to analyse the creep effect of the steel wire rope. The numerical simulation results are compared with the creep test data, and the accuracy of the numerical model is verified. Finally, various factors affecting the creep—including the friction between wires, gaps between wires and layers, twist angle of the core wire in a side strand, and that of the side wire in each strand—are analysed and discussed.