Combined Effect of Broken Rope Components and Corrosion on Damage Evolution through Its Lifetime

Abstract

This paper deals with the effect of combination modes of degradation on a rope’s properties. The effect of degradation is evaluated by a damage model that takes into consideration the loss of resistance. Tests were based on accelerated corrosion and mechanical damage by breaking wires. Tensile tests were carried out to determine residual strength. As a result, linear damage, in the case of broken wires, becomes more progressive with corroded strands. Three stages of damage evolution were defined: (1) damage initiation, (2) progressive damage, and (3) brutal damage. At the first stage, the damage obtained in the combined degradation case was equivalent to the addition of damages obtained with accelerated corrosion and broken wires separately. A synergy effect appeared at the stages of progressive and brutal damage, where the combined damage was 20% higher than the addition of damages from separate degradation means.