A novel approach for estimation of bending stiffness of helical strand assemblies and experimental validation

This paper proposes a novel approach for estimation of the bending stiffness of helical cable assemblies. The method adopts the revisited kinematic relations incorporating the effect of wire stretch under axial load and the effects of frictional forces on the strand, which includes the Coulomb friction hypothesis and Hertzian contact forces arising within a strand in the event of bending. The proposed method combines analytical modeling and numerical simulations to predict the bending stiffness under various loading conditions accurately. Experiments are carried out on a four-layered ACSR Bersimis Conductor, often used in Electric High Voltage (EHV) power transmission lines in India, to measure the bending stiffness under various axial-transverse load combinations. The study results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly improve the accuracy of bending stiffness estimates compared to the traditional methods. The paper also discusses the potential applications of the proposed method and future research directions in this field. The current research provides a valuable tool for engineers and researchers working with helical strand assemblies to predict the bending stiffness based on the revised slip theory formulated. Overall, this paper presents an innovative approach that improves our understanding of the behavior of helical strand assemblies under different loading conditions.