Bending Behavior of Helically Wrapped Cables

A mesoscale mechanical model of the bending behavior of helically wrapped cables under tension is developed. The model accounts for the nonlinear dissipative behavior of the cable arising from the slippage of wires under friction forces. It is shown that the bending stiffness rapidly diminishes with increasing cable curvature, over a range that can be as large as 2 orders of magnitude. The model can be used to assess the static and dynamic response of helically wrapped cables in such applications as conductors in substations and transmission lines subjected to earthquake effects, where significant changes in the cable curvature may occur.