A new specific finite element model for cables - Part I: Theory

In this paper; which is the first part of our study the theoretical bases of a new specific finite element model for cables are presented. A curved beam finite element based on a Cartesian isoparametric formulation is developed in order to model the constitutive wires of the cable, and the contact problem between the wires is addressed. The present model is especially designed to allow for the study of all the possible interwire motions in the cable, which is a major concern in fatigue design. The geometry and the assumptions made for this study are first presented and the description of the theoretical background follows. Then, the successive steps leading to the global finite element formulation are detailed. A sec and paper (Part 2), describes and comments on numerical and experimental validation tests and provides application examples.