Never bend a wire rope around a diameter _______ itself.

• A. Smaller than
• B. Larger than
• C. Equal to
• D. Twice the diameter

Answer: (A)

Bending wire rope around a diameter smaller than the rope itself creates an extremely tight bend that the rope cannot flex safely. The inside fibers are crushed and the strands get pinched, while the outer fibers are forced to stretch more, concentrating stress in a tiny area. This damages the rope’s construction, weakens its strength, and accelerates wear and potential failure.

That’s why the safety rule is to avoid bends around anything smaller than the rope’s diameter; use a bend radius that is equal to or larger than the rope diameter, and in practice often much larger to minimize bending stress.