ASME B30.30-2023 wire rope inspection and removal criteria
What ASME B30.30-2023 says about wire rope: scope, how often to inspect, what to
inspect and when a rope must come off. Written in our own words with the clause number for each point.
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Scope
Chapter 30-1 of the volume holds the requirements for steel wire rope. 30-1.1
Wire rope requirements are applied to rope on equipment covered by many other ASME B30 volumes. Table 30-1.4.4-1 lists, for each of those volumes, the rope application, whether it is running or standing rope, the rope type (standard or rotation resistant) and the minimum design factor. 30-1.4.4, Table 30-1.4.4-1
The rope design factor requirements do not apply to the B30.10, B30.25, B30.26 and B30.27 volumes. B30.17 equipment takes its design factors from B30.16. Table 30-1.4.4-1, General Notes (a) and (d)
Standing rope covers pendants, stay ropes, guys, nonoperating ropes, track cables, and ropes that hold up booms and jibs. 30-1.4.6
The same volume also has a separate chapter for synthetic (fiber) rope, not covered on this page. 30-2.7 to 30-2.8.5
Inspection frequency
All inspections (who). A designated person carries out every rope inspection. A qualified person then reviews any defect found, decides if it is a hazard, and sets what must be done about it. 30-1.8.1(a)
Frequent (daily). Running rope that is in service gets a visual check every day, or more often if a qualified person decides so. Look at all the rope likely to be used that day, aiming to catch serious damage that could be an immediate danger. 30-1.8.1(b)(1)
Frequent: follow-up on damage. If the daily check finds damage, a qualified person must examine the affected lengths and decide, using the removal criteria, whether the rope comes out of service. 30-1.8.1(b)(3)
Periodic: how often (basis). How often periodic inspections happen depends on past rope life on this or similar machines, how harsh the environment is, how many lifts are near capacity, how often the machine runs, and exposure to shock loading. Intervals do not have to be evenly spaced and should shorten as the rope nears the end of its life. 30-1.8.1(c)(1)
Periodic: boom hoist rope intervals. Unless the equipment maker, rope maker or a qualified person says otherwise, boom hoist rope gets a periodic inspection at least every 3 months or 500 hours of rope operation (normal service), 2 months or 335 hours (heavy service), or 1 month or 165 hours (severe service), whichever limit is reached first. Special service means intervals under 165 hours. 30-1.8.1(c)(2)(-a)
Periodic: all other rope intervals. Unless the equipment maker, rope maker or a qualified person says otherwise, all rope other than boom hoist rope gets a periodic inspection at least every 12 months or 2,000 hours of rope operation (normal service), 6 months or 1,000 hours (heavy service), or 3 months or 500 hours (severe service), whichever limit is reached first. Special service means intervals under 500 hours. 30-1.8.1(c)(2)(-b)
Periodic: shorter intervals for certain ropes. Some ropes and uses may need periodic inspections closer together: rotation-resistant rope (it is easily damaged, especially in duty cycle work), rope working in chemically active surroundings, any rope except Category 1 rotation-resistant used with an active in-line swivel, and rope running over synthetic sheaves with a single-layer drum. 30-1.8.1(c)(2)
Periodic: rotation-resistant rope as boom hoist. Rotation-resistant rope working as boom hoist rope or on a luffing attachment needs more frequent inspection. 30-1.4.2(f)(4)
After unusual occurrences. After an event such as a lightning strike, an abnormal shock load or an overload, the rope must receive a periodic-level inspection, or whatever inspection a qualified person decides on. 30-1.8.1(d)
Idle rope: 1 to 6 months. Rope left unused for 1 to 6 months because the machine was shut down or stored must get a frequent-type (daily visual) inspection. 30-1.8.3(a)
Idle rope: over 6 months. Rope left unused for more than 6 months because the machine was shut down or stored needs a full periodic inspection. 30-1.8.3(b)
New rope installation (break-in and reference diameter). Once a new rope is installed, it should be run through rising loads and speeds before normal work begins. After this break-in, its reference diameter must be recorded. On an existing installation, record the reference diameter no later than the next periodic inspection. 30-1.5.1(g), 30-1.5.1(i)
Before re-terminating used rope. Before putting a new end fitting on rope that has already been in service, carry out a periodic inspection over the 60 rope diameters nearest the end being terminated. 30-1.7.4(h)
Before and after each lift: rotation-resistant rope below design factor 5. When rotation-resistant hoist rope is used with an operating design factor below 5 (never below 3.5), a qualified person must confirm the rope is in good condition both before and after each such lift, a designated person directs the lift, it is run to keep dynamic effects low, and every such lift is entered in the equipment inspection record and considered before allowing another. This is not meant for duty cycle or repetitive lifts. Table 30-1.4.4-1, General Note (b)
Before and after lift: B30.14 side boom pipelayer below design factor 4.0. On B30.14 side boom pipelayers, if running rope design factors drop below 4.0 (but not under 2.5), the rope must show no defects on a frequent-type inspection done before and after the lift, and a qualified person must direct the lift and inspections. Table 30-1.4.4-1, General Note (c)
Records: frequent inspections. Daily (frequent) inspections do not need to be written up. 30-1.8.4(a)
Records: periodic inspections. Keep on file a dated condition report from the most recent periodic inspection, covering each removal criterion and the measured rope diameter. If the rope was replaced, a note of the replacement is enough. 30-1.8.4(b)
Records: long-term program. A long-term program should be set up that records examinations of retired ropes, so what inspectors see on the outside can be related to the actual internal condition. 30-1.8.4(c)
Records: reference diameter. Keep the reference diameter of the installed rope, written on the rope certificate, the periodic inspection report, or another document the inspector can get to. 30-1.8.4(d)
Inspection criteria
Daily check: what to look for. During the daily check, watch for: loss of the rope's even structure, broken wires, corrosion, badly damaged or worn end connections, signs of heat, electrical or lightning damage, and spots where the lubrication looks different from the rest of the rope. 30-1.8.1(b)(2)
Periodic check: coverage and method. The periodic inspection is a close visual look at the whole rope surface from end to end, checking for the same damage types as the daily check and against the removal criteria. The inspector should not try to open up the rope. 30-1.8.1(c)(1)
Nondestructive testing. Consider nondestructive rope testing as an extra inspection tool alongside the visual check. 30-1.8.1(c)(1) NOTE
Areas needing close attention: repetitive wear. Give extra attention to spots that wear over and over: where the rope steps up at the drum flange, crosses over, or is repeatedly picked up on the drum; reverse bends in the reeving; equalizer sheaves; end connections; and where sheave or drum grooves are worn or corrugated. 30-1.8.1(c)(1)(-a)
Corrugated sheave or drum grooves. Minor groove corrugation with good rope performance may not require replacing parts. If rope touching corrugated grooves is getting broken wires or distortion such as waviness, the affected rope, sheave or drum should be replaced or remachined. 30-1.8.1(c)(1)(-a) NOTE
Areas needing close attention: known wear spots. Check spots that past experience on this particular machine shows tend to wear. 30-1.8.1(c)(1)(-b)
Areas needing close attention: vibration damping points. Check places where rope vibration dies out: rope on equalizer sheaves or other sheaves with little travel, rope at or close to end fittings where corroded or broken wires can stick out, bridle reeving in boom hoists, drum flange pickup, crossover and layer change points, and fleeting or deflector sheaves. 30-1.8.1(c)(1)(-c)
Diameter measurement. Measure the diameter at many points so the reduction in diameter can be judged over the full rope length. The reduction is worked out against the recorded reference diameter and compared with the limits for that rope class. 30-1.8.2(a), Table 30-1.8.2-1
Minor doglegs. Small doglegs are not a removal condition on their own but should be written into the inspection record. 30-1.8.2(b)
Where the broken wire limits apply. The broken wire limits are valid for rope on steel or cast iron sheaves and drums, and for rope on multilayer drums whatever the sheave material. With single-layer spooling, synthetic or synthetic-lined sheaves should be avoided: there are no broken wire limits for that setup and many internal breaks can form before anything shows on the outside. Table 30-1.8.2-2, General Note
Valley break follow-up. When a valley break is found, the rope on both sides of it should be checked while bent over a sheave or similar, over a length the table note specifies. Table 30-1.8.2-2, Note (1)
Counting a removed crown break. A crown break whose two ends can be seen may be removed by working the ends back and forth until they snap off between strands. Record the action and its location, and at later inspections treat it as a single crown break, not a valley break. This does not count as a repair. 30-1.5.3(c)
End terminations. End terminations are inspected under the same rope inspection section. Removal criteria for wedge sockets are found in ASME B30.26. 30-1.7.4(l)
Used rope to be re-terminated. On used rope getting a new end fitting, the length checked near the end must measure at least the nominal rope diameter. 30-1.7.4(h)
Sheave grooves. Sheave grooves must be smooth with no surface flaws that could harm the rope. A worn groove should be no smaller than nominal rope diameter plus 2.5%; sheaves worn tighter than that should be replaced or reworked. 30-1.7.2(a), 30-1.7.2(d)
Drum surface and flanges. The drum surface must have no flaws that could damage rope, and in operation the flanges must stand at least half a rope diameter above the top rope layer, with 0.5 in. (13 mm) as the smallest allowed. 30-1.7.3(a), 30-1.7.3(c)
Dead wraps on drum. In normal operation keep at least two dead wraps at each drum anchorage, unless the applicable volume, equipment maker, rope maker or a qualified person specifies otherwise. 30-1.7.3(g)
Removal (discard) criteria
General rule. No exact rule sets the retirement time. As soon as a rope meets any single removal criterion, it must be replaced before the equipment goes back into service. 30-1.8.2
Diameter reduction. Remove the rope if at any point its diameter has shrunk beyond the limit in the table. The limit depends on rope class: standard rope with fiber core, standard rope with steel core (by number of outer strands and 19 or 36 class), and rotation-resistant rope. The reduction is measured from the recorded reference diameter and expressed as a percentage of nominal diameter. 30-1.8.2(a), Table 30-1.8.2-1Limit set by the standard's table: check your rope in the calculator
Rotation-resistant rope: possible core failure. In rotation-resistant rope, loss of diameter can signal a failed core, usually seen as longer lay and local thinning. A qualified person must inspect those sections right away and decide whether to retire the rope. 30-1.8.2(a) NOTE
Core protrusion. Remove the rope if the steel core pokes out between the outer strands. 30-1.8.2(b)
Kinking. Remove the rope if it is kinked. 30-1.8.2(b)
Severe doglegs. Remove the rope if it has a severe dogleg. 30-1.8.2(b)
Crushing. Remove the rope if crushing has flattened it so that the smallest measurement across the damaged spot is 5/6 of nominal diameter or less. 30-1.8.2(b)
External corrosion. Remove the rope for external corrosion, whether general or local, that shows as pitting. 30-1.8.2(c)
Internal corrosion. Remove the rope where there are clear signs of corrosion inside it, for example magnetic debris working out of the valleys between strands. 30-1.8.2(c)
Waviness (corkscrew). Remove the rope if waviness has grown the outer envelope diameter to more than 110% of nominal diameter. 30-1.8.2(d)
Heat damage. Remove the rope for any visible heat damage, for example from welding, contact with power lines, or lightning. 30-1.8.2(e)
High or low strand. Remove the rope if a strand sits raised or sunk relative to the rope surface by more than half the strand's diameter. 30-1.8.2(f)
End terminations. Remove the rope if an end termination is badly corroded, cracked, bent out of shape, worn, heavily damaged, or was not installed correctly. 30-1.8.2(g)
Broken wires: standard running rope. The table sets how many visible broken wires force removal of standard running rope. The number depends on the number of outer strands and whether it is 19 or 36 class, and is counted both within one strand and across all strands over a short length, and across all strands over a longer length (both lengths are multiples of nominal diameter). 30-1.8.2(h), Table 30-1.8.2-2Limit set by the standard's table: check your rope in the calculator
Broken wires: rotation-resistant rope. The table sets separate, and for Categories 2 and 3 much tighter, broken wire limits for rotation-resistant rope by category (1, 2 or 3), counted across all strands over a short and a longer length of rope. 30-1.8.2(h), Table 30-1.8.2-2Limit set by the standard's table: check your rope in the calculator
Broken wires: valley breaks. The table sets a separate limit for valley-type breaks (breaks between strands) for running rope, counted over the longer inspection length. 30-1.8.2(h), Table 30-1.8.2-2, Note (1)Limit set by the standard's table: check your rope in the calculator
Broken wires: at end terminations. The table sets a limit for broken wires at the end termination for running and standing rope. These can be cleared by cutting off the end and re-fitting the termination, provided the shorter rope is still acceptable. 30-1.8.2(h), Table 30-1.8.2-2, Note (2)Limit set by the standard's table: check your rope in the calculator
Restricted use: rotation-resistant rope at design factor below 5. For special lifts where rotation-resistant hoist rope runs below a design factor of 5, finding more than one broken wire in a single lay is enough reason to consider not using that rope for such lifts. Table 30-1.4.4-1, General Note (b)(1)(b)
No repair or lengthening. Wire rope must never be repaired or lengthened. 30-1.5.3(d)
Terms used
Standard wire rope. Rope with a steel core (WSC or IWRC) laid in the same direction as the rope, a fiber core that carries no load, no core, or load-bearing synthetic fibers in strands and/or core (hybrid rope). Low-torque rope counts as standard rope. 30-1.3.1
Rotation-resistant wire rope. Rope built with two or more layers of strands around a centre, the outer layer laid opposite to the layer beneath, so it produces less torque and turning under load. The rope maker must state its category on the certificate. 30-1.3.2
Rotation-resistant Category 1. Shows little or no tendency to turn and has 15 or more outer strands. 30-1.3.2(a)
Rotation-resistant Category 2. Resists turning strongly and has 10 or more outer strands. 30-1.3.2(b)
Rotation-resistant Category 3. Resists turning only to a limited degree and has 9 outer strands or fewer. 30-1.3.2(c)
Standing rope. Non-running rope such as pendants, stays, guys, nonoperating rope, track cables, and ropes supporting booms or jibs. It must be regular lay rope or structural strand, made only from new rope, and never rotation-resistant. 30-1.4.6
Diameter reduction calculation. Percentage reduction is the reference diameter minus the measured diameter, divided by the nominal diameter, times 100. The reference diameter is the value recorded after break-in. Table 30-1.8.2-1, General Note; 30-1.5.1(i)
Waviness (corkscrew effect). A corkscrew-shaped deformation of the rope, judged by its overall envelope diameter. 30-1.8.2(d)
Distortion of rope structure. Includes kinks, severe doglegs, birdcaging and crushing. 30-1.8.2(b)
Hockle (synthetic rope). A kink or distortion in synthetic rope formed by forcibly pulling a loop tight. 30-2.8.2(g)
Rope service classes. Periodic inspection intervals are grouped into normal, heavy, severe and special rope service. Normal, heavy and severe each have a maximum time and a maximum number of rope operating hours, whichever comes first; special service is set by operating hours only. 30-1.8.1(c)(2)
This page summarises ASME B30.30-2023 in our own words for general information. It is not
a copy of the standard, does not reproduce its tables and does not replace it. Clause numbers refer to
ASME B30.30-2023. The full standard is available from ASME. The rope or crane manufacturer's criteria take
precedence where they are stricter, and inspection and discard decisions remain those of your competent
or qualified person.
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All specifications must be verified before purchase and before installation. Rope specifications can change between machines of the same model and between model years. Confirm against your machine's logbook, reeving and the manufacturer's documentation before ordering. Inspection and discard decisions remain those of your competent person.