Section 14 - Wire Ropes A, B, C, D, E 1

Section 14

Wire Ropes

A. Scope 2. With the exception of wire ropes made of

A austenitic stainless steel wires, wire ropes shall normally
These Rules apply to wire ropes for use as hawsers be manufactured from individually galvanized wires.
(towlines, mooring lines) and as standing and running The use of ungalvanized wires requires the special
rigging for cargo handling gear and other lifting tackle consent of BKI.
on board sea-going vessels.

B D
B. Requirements to be Met by the Manufacturers
of Wire Ropes
1. With regard to their production and quality
control, wire rope manufacturers shall meet the
requirements stated in Section 1, C. and shall be
approved by BKI.
2. Applications for approval are to be submitted to
BKI in writing with a description containing at least the
following details:
type, composition and strengths of the ropes
concerned
manufacturing facilities
testing equipment: copies of the last calibration
reports on the testing machines are to be attached
D. Requirements Applied to Wire Ropes
1. Nominal breaking strength
Wire ropes shall have the nominal breaking strengths of
1570 and 1770 N/mm2 specified in Table 14.1. These
values shall not be exceeded by more than the values
shown in Table 14.2.
2. Ductility
Individual wires shall possess sufficient ductility,
measured by their ability to withstand a fixed number of
reverse bends and/or twists without starting to crack.
These requirements are regarded as fulfilled if the
values specified in DIN EN 10264, or in an equivalent
standard recognized by BKI are achieved.

By a works inspection, the manufacturer shall 3. Tolerance on diameter

demonstrate the availability of the equipment necessary
for the proper manufacture and testing of wire ropes. The tolerance on the diameter of rope wires shall lie
BKI reserve the right to call for a preliminary test of within the limits specified in recognized standards, e.g.
suitability to be carried out on samples of the rope. in DIN EN 10264.

3. If the wire rope manufacturer wishes to be

4. Galvanizing method
approved by BKI for the independent testing of wire
ropes, this shall also be applied for. BKI will allocate to
Hawsers and standing rigging shall be manufactured
the manufacturer a special identification number if the
from fully galvanized wires. Normally galvanized wires
conditions for approval stated in 1. and 2. are satisfied.
may be used for all other ropes. The zinc coating shall
conform to the data shown in Table 14.3
C
C. Manufacture
A, B, C, D, E
E. Testing of Wire Ropes
1. The ropes shall conform to recognized national
or international standards 1), and should, wherever
The following tests are to be performed:
possible, comply with Table 14.1. Ropes of a different
construction and ropes with high nominal breaking
strengths, e.g. 1960 N/mm2, or containing austenitic 1. Testing the zinc coating
stainless steel wires may be approved on application
provided that they are suitable for the proposed 1.1 The specified weight of the zinc coating is to be
application. determined and certified by the manufacturer by
chemically stripping the coating and measuring the
1)
weight loss of the stripped wires according to a
See DIN 3057 to DIN 3060 and DIN 3064 to DIN 3066 and ISO recognized method, e.g. in accordance with DIN 51213.
2408
14-2 Section 14 - Wire Ropes E

Table 14.1 Usual types of wire ropes approved by BKI

E
Structure of rope Nominal
Number Construction of breaking Galvanizing
Use Number of Type of rope
of wires strands strength method
strands
per strand
core [N/mm2]

1570
6 7 1 fibre or fully
Standing rigging Standard and
6 19 1) steel core galvanized
1770

6 19
6 1 fibre core Standard
37
Hawers Seale or
Warrington. fully
(towlines, 6 24 (7 fibre cores) 1570
galvanized
mooring lines)
6 19 Warrington-
6 1 steel core
36 Seale
6 36 Warrington-
1 fibre or Seale 1570
steel core normally
Running rigging
6 37 Standard and galvanized

6 24 7 fibre cores standard 1770

1) This rope may also be used as a single reeved span rope not moved under load

Table 14.2 Positive tolerances for nominal Table 14.3 Zinc coatings
breaking strengths
Minimum mass per unit
Nominal wire diameter Limiting deviations Nominal wire area of zinc coating
d [mm] [N/mm2] diameter [g/m2] for type
d [mm] normally fully
0,20 up to < 0,50 + 390
galvanized galvanized
0,50 up to < 1,00 + 350
0,2 up to < 0,25 15
1,00 up to < 1,50 + 320 0,25 up to < 0,4 20
0,4 up to < 0,5 30 75
1,50 up to < 2,00 + 290
0,5 up to < 0,6 40 90
2,00 up to 6,00 + 260
0,6 up to < 0,7 50 110
0,7 up to < 0,8 60 120
0,8 up to < 1,0 70 130
Wires of the various diameters shall be removed from 1,0 up to < 1,2 80 150
the rope for this purpose.
1,2 up to < 1,5 90 165
BKI reserve the right to repeat this test in case of doubt. 1,5 up to < 1,9 100 180
1,9 up to < 2,5 110 205
1.2 The adhesion of the zinc coating shall be verified
by the winding test, e.g. to DIN 51215. For this purpose, 2,5 up to < 3,2 125 230
the wires shall be wound as follows on to a test mandrel 3,2 up to < 3,7 135 250
of the diameter specified in Table 14.4 so as to form at
3,7 up to < 4,0 135 260
least 10 adjacent turns.
4,0 up to < 4,5 150 270
The zinc coating shall continue to adhere firmly to the 4,5 up to < 5,5 165 280
substrate after winding. At least 5 wires of each size
5,5 up to 6,0 180 280
shall be tested.
 Section 14 - Wire Ropes E, F, G 14-3

Table 14.4 Winding test Table 14.5 Realization factors

Diameter of test mandrel Rope Ropes with Ropes with

Method of expressed as a multiple construction fibre core steel core
galvanizing of the wire diameter of:
67 0,9000 0,8379
< 1,5 mm 1,5 mm 6 19 0,8600 0,8007
6 24 0,8700
Fully galvanized 4 6
6 36 0,8400 0,7821
Normally 6 37 0,8250 0,7681
2 3
galvanized
The average value of the four measurements shall be
2. Ductility test considered to be the actual rope diameter and shall lie
within the permitted tolerances. The number and
At the option of the manufacturer, the ductility of the diameter of the individual wires shall also be verified.
rope wires shall be tested either by the reverse bend test
or by the twisting test specified in a recognized
standard, e.g. DIN 51211 or DIN 51212. All the wires E
constituting a strand taken from the rope shall be F. Verification of Characteristics
subjected to this test. The test is considered successful if
at least 95 % of the wires withstand the bend or twisting 1. Companies which have been approved by BKI
test specified in the relevant standard without breaking. for the independent performance of tests may test wire
ropes at their own responsibility. The result of the test
3. Tensile test shall be certified on a form prescribed by BKI.
3.1 From every manufactured length of rope up to 2. Notwithstanding the provisions contained in 1.,
10000 m a test sample is to be tensile tested in its the test is to be performed in the presence of the
entirety to destruction. The test length shall be equal to Surveyor in the case of wire ropes of special
30 times the diameter of the rope, subject to a minimum construction in accordance with C.1., or if the company
of 600 mm. The minimum breaking load shall achieve concerned has not been approved for independent
the value specified for the rope in question in the testing, or if the purchaser has expressed a wish to this
standard. In the case of manufactured lengths of more effect.
than 10000 m, a second test sample is to be taken and
tested.
E, F, G
3.2 Where the tensile loading capacity of the testing G. Marking
machine is insufficient to test the rope in its entirety, the
breaking load of the rope shall be determined from the 1. Wire ropes are to be provided with worked-in
results of tests performed on the individual wires. For coloured threads as follows for the purpose of
this purpose a strand is to be taken from every distinguishing the nominal strength of the wires:
manufactured length of rope of 5000 m or less, and its
constituent wires shall be individually subjected to the Nominal strength 1570 N/mm2 : white
tensile test, e.g. to EN 12385. The wire test specimens Nominal strength 1770 N/mm2 : green
shall have an initial measured length of 100 or 200 mm.
The tensile strength is determined on the basis of the Nominal strength 1960 N/mm2 : yellow
nominal wire diameter. For special rope constructions in accordance with C.1.,
The test shall be deemed successful if at least 95 % of the colour of the distinguishing thread shall be specially
the rope wires meet the requirements stated in D.1. and designated.
the calculated breaking load achieves the values
specified in the relevant standard. For this purpose, the 2. A tape shall also be worked into the ropes
individual test values are to be applied to the total bearing the manufacturer's name and, in the case of
number of wires in the rope and multiplied by the companies approved by BKI for independent testing, the
realization factor shown in Table 14.5. identification number allocated by BKI.
The coloured distinguishing thread may be dispensed
4. Dimensional check with if the tape designating the company is of the colour
specified in 1.
The diameter of each rope is to be measured at two
points located at least 1 m apart in two directions Ropes which have been tested in the presence of the
approximately perpendicular to each other. The Surveyor are also (to) be marked with a seal bearing the
difference between the smallest and the largest result BKI stamp: K I
may not be more than 4 %.