Experimental study on fatigue behaviour of wire ropes

This study was planned to verify the usefulness of the Latin Square Design Method in the fatigue tests of cables and to evaluate the axial fatigue beh aviour of wire ropes being used as hangers in suspension bridges. Three par ameters, mean stress, stress range, and specimen length, were adopted for v erification. The effects of these parameters are in dispute with the except ion of stress range. These three chosen parameters were proven to be signif icant. The effect of the stress range met with our expectations, but the ef fect of specimen length was contrary to what was expected. It was also obse rved that the effect of mean stress depended upon its chosen level. Therefo re, the Latin Square Design Method is effective for verifying the parameter s that affect fatigue behaviour under orthogonality conditions. (C) 2000 Pu blished by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.