Theoretical and experimental analysis of prestressed wire rope

Nowadays, monotron type steel ropes are used in many structures such as suspension bridges, cable car lines and cranes. The amount of prestress that must be applied during the installation of the ropes is calculated by measuring the natural frequency of the wire rope. In this study, the natural frequency analysis of monotron wire ropes of different types and diameters is experimentally and theoretically done. In the theoretical analysis, analytical formulas and finite element method were used. In the experimental study, the natural frequency analysis was carried out by using the impulse hammer under various loads by establishing simple constrained boundary conditions of the prestressed cable. The natural frequency values under different pre-tension loads of the rope models were compared. The rope solid models needed for finite element analysis were created in solid modelling software using information from rope manufacturers and rope samples. These solid models have been transferred to the finite element program for finite element analysis. Finite element meshing of the solid model, application of boundary conditions, and finite element modeling have been done in the program. The results of experimental and theoretical analyzes have been evaluated and illustrated with the help of tables and graphs showing how the natural frequencies of the ropes change depending on the applied rope diameter and number of wires at the applied tensile strength.