"Wire rope, also known as cable, is used in the construction of suspension bridges and in cable stayed bridges as illustrated in chapter 1. These structural members are long, thin and flexible. In the design analysis, we compute the axial forces acting on a cable, the amount the cable stretches under load, and the stresses developed. Next, we compare the stresses acting on the cable with its strength to determine a safety factor. The size of the safety factor is evaluated to determine if this structural member is safe to be employed in a structure used by the public... What characteristics do thread, string, rope, wire and cable have in common? They usually have a circular cross section, and are long in comparison to their diameter. They are also flexible so they can be wrapped around pulleys, formed into loops, and sometimes knotted. Indeed, they are so flexible that we cannot push on them because thet buckle. It is possible to pull, but not push. This fact means that internal tensile forces develop within a thin flexible member but not compression forces. These long, thin and flexible members do not support internal compressive forces." p5-1

ELASTICITY
A MEASURE OF THE ABILITY OF AN OBJECT TO RECOVER ITS SHAPE AFTER AN IMPACT

EXTENSION

MODULUS OF ELASTICITY
A CONSTANT FOR A SPRING OR ELASTIC OBJECT THAT IS A RATIO OF THE FORCE APPLIED AND THE SPRING ELONGATION (OR OBJECT ELASTIC DEFORMATION)

NORMAL
IN MECHANICS, NORMAL OFTEN MEANS PERPENDICULAR OR AT RIGHT ANGLES TO A SURFACE OR A DIRECTION. NORMAL CAN ALSO MEAN NOMINAL OR AVERAGE.

NORMAL STRAIN
A COMPONENT OF THE STRAIN THAT IS PERPENDICULAR (NORMAL) TO A PLANE OF REFERENCE

STRAIN

TENSION

TENSION

YIELDING