Bending behavior of CFRP cables in the nonlinear displacement range

Abstract

The tensile behavior of cables and wire ropes has been widely explored in the literature, with many analytical, numerical and experimental results available. However, their bending behavior is still not yet fully comprehended, especially when dealing with cables made of non-isotropic materials. When these materials are bended over small diameter sheaves or drums, they may experience large strains, causing nonlinearities that are not captured by any known analytical model. The aim of the present work is to numerically verify through finite-element method the tensile and bending behavior of composite CFRP cables. The numerical results were compared with experimental data. Good correlation between them was found in a four-point bending test configuration, even at large displacements and with a nonlinear response. Hybrid cable constructions (using aramid and glass rods) were also numerically analyzed relative to their tensile and bending behavior, achieving satisfactory results.