a b s t r a c tDue to its low density and high strength, HMPE (high modulus polyethylene) fibres are being increasingly used in synthetic ropes for offshore mooring. Nevertheless, the occurrence of creep at sea temperature can be a shortcoming for its practical use. Creep tests performed at different load levels in a sub-system of the HMPE rope (yarn) are frequently used as a first step to obtain some information about the susceptibility to creep deformation at a given temperature. The present paper is concerned with the phenomenological modelling of creep tests in HMPE yarns. In this macroscopic approach, besides the classical variables (stress, total strain), an additional scalar variable related with the damage induced by creep process is introduced. An evolution law is proposed for this damage variable. The predicted lifetimes and elongations of HMPE specimens in creep tests at different load levels and room temperature are compared with experimental results showing a good agreement.

Abstract. Anchoring systems of offshore platforms are designed to work uninterruptedly for 20 to 30 years, and despite the increasing number of studies concerning these systems' mechanical behavior in working conditions, most of them are conducted in speeding environments, due to the necessity of results in the short term. There are standardized stiffness tests, such as ISO 18692, based on quantities like Dynamic Stiffness and Quasi-static Stiffness, through which one can compare, quantitatively, two different ropes. However, there is a lack of research aiming to assess the change in the mechanical behavior of these ropes after certain number of consecutive loading cycles (or stiffness tests). This study aims to assess, at the yarn level, the change in the quasi-static and dynamic stiffness parameters of two materials when submitted to repeated stiffness tests. Results in terms of qualitative assessment of the mechanical behavior, as well as quantitative changes in the parameters are presented.

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