This paper describes work performed within a Joint Industry Project aiming to evaluate the lifetime of deep sea handling ropes. Various HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene) fiber ropes, with and without coatings, have been studied under both tensile and cyclic bend over sheave (CBOS) loading. A large test program has enabled both tension-cycle to failure relationships and empirical expressions for residual strength after cycling to be determined. A special device was then developed to apply a known couple to the sheave, allowing both dynamic friction measurements to be made and the influence of applied couple on cycles to failure to be measured. These experimental data were used in the development of a numerical model which can be used to study the influence of rope and sheave parameters.

Aramid fibers are today proposed in ropes and cables for marine applications. As these highly crystalline materials are loaded in tension for a longer period in seawater, their long-term mechanical behavior has to be understood. However, the response is time-dependent and exhibits a nonlinear effect with stress. In this study, two types of aramid fibers are studied: Twaron and Technora. Mechanical properties are measured using static tensile tests and creep-recovery tests. A nonlinear viscoelastic-viscoplastic model, based on the Schapery formulation, allows discriminating between the instantaneous and the time-dependent response as well as the reversible and nonreversible phenomena (plasticity). First, this procedure allows the overall mechanical behavior of the fibers to be compared, considering creep rate, plasticity, and instantaneous moduli. Then, using these parameters, the effect of the testing condition, air or seawater is studied. Finally, the effect of aging in seawater is quantified for both fibers.

a b s t r a c tRepeated bending over sheaves is one of the main causes of failure of synthetic fibre ropes used in marine operations. There are few published results available and even fewer models allowing lifetime to be estimated. A large new set of data from cyclic bend over sheave (CBOS) tests on 250 kN break load braided HMPE synthetic ropes is presented first, both tests to failure and interrupted tests followed by residual strength measurements. These data are analysed in order to propose an empirical lifetime model. This is identified using constant load tests, then evaluated for variable load sequences. A methodology to include rope lifetime prediction in handling system design is then discussed.

Innovation in materials and test protocols, as well as physical and numerical investigations, is required to address the technical challenges arising due to the novel application of components from conventional industries to the marine renewable energy (MRE) industry. Synthetic fibre ropes, widely used for offshore station-keeping, have potential application in the MRE industry to reduce peak mooring line loads. This paper presents the results of a physical characterisation study of a novel hybrid polyester-polyolefin rope for MRE mooring applications through a round robin testing (RRT) approach at two test facilities. The RRT was performed using standard guidelines for offshore mooring lines and the results are verified through the numerical modelling of the rope tensile behaviour. The physical testing provides quantifiable margins for the strength and stiffness properties of the hybrid rope, increases confidence in the test protocols and assesses facility-specific influences on test outcomes. The results indicate that the adopted guidance is suitable for rope testing in mooring applications and there is good agreement between stiffness characterisation at both facilities. Additionally, the numerical model provides a satisfactory prediction of the rope tensile behaviour and it can be used for further parametric studies.

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