What Is ASME B30.30, and How Does It Apply To Wire Rope Inspection

2/25/2021 What is ASME B30.30, and How Does It Apply to Wire Rope Inspection?
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What is ASME B30.30, and How Does It Apply to Wire

Rope Inspection?
By: Matt Florjancic | Posted on February 24, 2021
OSHA and ASME Compliance

Wire Rope
When was the last time your company had their wire rope inspected
for potential removal from service criteria?
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https://www.mazzellacompanies.com/learning-center/what-is-asme-b30-30-wire-rope-inspection/ 1/22
When was the last time your company had their wire rope inspected for
potential removal from service criteria?
Wire rope inspection is a vital part of the maintenance process for any
construction or crane company because the safety of your workers and
security/undamaged delivery of loads lifted by this equipment are of
utmost importance.


The guidelines for these inspections comprise the B30.30 Ropes Standard
from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and in this
piece, you will learn more about the:
The ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard
Common problems found on wire rope inspections
Records keeping
Recommended disposal criteria
ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard and Types of

Crane Wire Rope Inspections
General
***Prior to the ASME B30.30-2019 Ropes standard, there was not an all-
inclusive standard that covered steel wire rope and synthetic rope.

Typically, rope was addressed in the individual ASME standard for specific
equipment such as B30.2 for overhead and gantry cranes or B30.5 for
mobile and locomotive cranes, as well as the other B30 standards for
additional types of equipment. For now, the reference to wire rope or
synthetic ropes contained in those other standards still apply. Our
understanding is that as those other standards are updated, they will
reference the ASME B30.30 Ropes standard. The intent of this article is to
discuss the inspection for steel wire rope as contained in the ASME B30.30-
2019.
Outlined in Section 30-1.8.1, “all inspections shall be performed by a

designated person. Any deficiencies identified shall be examined and a
determination made by a qualified person as to whether they constitute a
hazard and, if so, what steps need to be taken to address the hazard.”
In the ASME B30.2 Overhead and Gantry Cranes Standard, a designated

person is defined as:
“A person selected or assigned by the employer or the employer’s

representatives as being competent to perform specific duties.”
Section 30-0.3 addresses Personnel Competence in this way:


“Persons performing the functions identified in this Volume shall, through

education, training, experience, skill, and physical fitness, as necessary, be
competent and capable to perform the functions as determined by the
employer or employer’s representative.”
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) defines a

Competent Person as:
“One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the

surroundings, or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or
dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt
corrective measures to eliminate them.” (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.32 (f)).


Frequent Inspections
ASME 30-1.8.1 (b) states that:
“Running rope in service shall be visually inspected daily, unless a qualified

person determines it should be performed more frequently. The visual
inspection shall consist of observation of all rope that can reasonably be


expected to be in use during the day’s operations. The inspector should focus
on discovering gross damage that may be an immediate hazard.”
According to the B30.30 Standard, inspectors are looking for:
Distortion of rope structure
Broken wires
Corrosion
Gross damage or deterioration of the end connections
Evidence of heat, electrical, or lightning damage, or localized change in

lubrication condition
Periodic Inspections
ASME 30-1.8.1 (c) states that:
“The inspection frequency shall be based on such factors as rope life on the
particular installation or similar installations, severity of environment,
percentage of capacity lifts, frequency rates of operation, and exposure to
shock loads. Inspections need not be at equal calendar intervals and should
be more frequent as the rope approaches the end of its useful life. Close

visual inspection of the entire rope length shall be made to evaluate

inspection and removal criteria.”
According to the ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard, inspectors will look over the
entire wire rope length and focus on uncovering various forms of damage,
as well as sections prone to rapid deterioration or needing “special
attention,” including:
Repetitive Wear Sections
Flange step-up, crossover, and repetitive pickup points on the drum
Reverse bends in the reeving system


Equalizer sheaves
End connections
Sheave/drum groove wear or corrugation
Known Wear Areas Based on Previous Experience with the Machine

Being Inspected
Locations Where Rope Vibrations are Damped
Sections in contact with equalizer sheaves or other sheaves where

rope travel is limited
Sections of the rope at or near end connections where corroded or

broken wires may protrude
Rope in the bridle reeving in boom hoists
Repetitive pickup points and crossover and change-of-layer points

at flanges on drums
Fleeting or deflector sheaves


Timing of Crane Rope Inspections

Not all ropes are judged on the same criteria, and based on their usage,
the frequency of inspections differ.
The ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard states that “Unless otherwise specified by
the LHE manufacturer, the rope manufacturer, or a qualified person, the
periodic inspection shall be performed at intervals according to the rope
service descriptions.”

To make sure you remain in compliance with ASME standards, follow these
recommendations for inspections:
Boom Hoist Rope Inspections

Normal Rope Service-Not to exceed three months or 500 hours of
rope operation, whichever comes first
Heavy Rope Service-Not to exceed two months or 335 hours of rope

operation, whichever comes first
Severe Rope Service-Not to exceed one month or 165 hours of rope

Special Rope Service-Less than 165 hours of rope operation


All Other Wire Rope Inspections

Normal Rope Service-Not to exceed 12 months or 2,000 hours of rope
Heavy Rope Service-Not to exceed six months or 1,000 hours of rope



Severe Rope Service-Not to exceed three months or 500 hours of rope

Special Rope Service-Less than 500 hours of rope operation
Ropes that require special attention and reduced time intervals between
periodic inspections include:
Unique construction and susceptibility to damage and increased

deterioration when used under difficult conditions
Duty cycle operations
Rope operating in chemically active environments
Rope other than Category 1 rotation-resistant rope operating with active

in-line swivels
Rope operating over synthetic sheaves with single-layer drums
Ropes affected by “unusual occurrences” include:
Lightning strike
Abnormal shock load
Overload on a wire rope


Under the ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard, “The wire rope shall be
inspected in accordance with or as determined by a qualified person.”
Common Types of Wire Rope Damage Found During

Inspections

What problems are inspectors looking for during an examination of the

wire rope?
According to ASME B30.30, damage to wire rope comes in many forms,

including:
Rope Diameter-The rope should be measured in numerous locations to

check for any loss of diameter. Removal criteria include a reduction
from nominal diameter greater than 5% at any location.
Distortion of Rope Structure-Examples of this form of damage include

kinking, severe doglegs, bird caging and crushing. Removal criteria
include steel core protrusion between the outer strands, kinking, severe
doglegs and changes in original geometry due to crushing where the
minimum dimension across the distorted second is less than or equal
to 5/6 of the nominal diameter.
Corrosion-Removal criteria include widespread or localized external

corrosion as evidenced by pitting and obvious signs of internal
corrosion, such as magnetic debris coming from valleys.

Waviness of Rope-Removal criteria include when the overall envelope
diameter has increased to a value greater than 110% of nominal rope
diameter.
Heat Damage-Removal criteria include any apparent damage from a

heat source, such as welding, powerline strikes, or lightning.
High or Low Strand-Removal criteria include a high or low strand that

is higher or lower than half of the strand diameter above or below the
surface of the rope.
End Terminations-Removal criteria include severely corroded, cracked,

deformed, worn, grossly damaged, or improperly installed end
terminations.
Visible Broken Wires-See table below for variances given depending

on rope usage.


Crane Rope Inspection Records


Types of inspections have different requirements for their records keeping,

per ASME B30.30.
Records of frequent inspections are not required.
“To establish a basis for judging the proper time for replacement, a dated
report of rope condition at the latest periodic inspection shall be kept on
file….
…If the rope is replaced, only the fact that the rope was replaced needs to be
recorded.”
Long-Term Inspection Programs “should be established and should include

records on the examination of rope removed from service so that a
relationship can be established between visual observation and actual
condition of the internal structure.”
Wire Rope Lifespan and Disposal CriteriaPrivacy & Cookies Policy 

Section 30-1.8.2 states, “There are no precise rules to determine the exact
time for the removal of the rope since many factors are involved. Once a
rope reaches any one of the removal criteria, it shall be replaced before the
LHE is returned to service.”
Wrapping It Up
By better understanding the ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard for inspection,

you have a deeper understanding of the importance of having your
equipment examined regularly and have taken the first step in creating a
safer work environment for your employees.
Also, you know now that inspecting equipment is not just a periodic
requirement done by an outside company. If you notice something is


suspect, you should pull it from service for further evaluation and potential
retirement/disposal.
Safety and successful lifts are everybody’s responsibility.
Call us at 800.362.4601, or click here for more information on wire rope

products or assemblies!


Posted in OSHA and ASME Compliance, Wire Rope

Tagged ASME B30.30, crane rope inspection, high-performance crane ropes,
high-performance wire rope, wire rope, wire rope inspection
©2021 Mazzella Companies

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2/25/2021 What is ASME B30.30, and How Does It Apply to Wire Rope Inspection?

What is ASME B30.30, and How Does It Apply to Wire

OSHA and ASME Compliance

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy & Cookies Policy

The ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard

Common problems found on wire rope inspections

Recommended disposal criteria

ASME B30.30 Ropes Standard and Types of

Outlined in Section 30-1.8.1, “all inspections shall be performed by a

In the ASME B30.2 Overhead and Gantry Cranes Standard, a designated

“A person selected or assigned by the employer or the employer’s

Section 30-0.3 addresses Personnel Competence in this way:

Privacy & Cookies Policy

“Persons performing the functions identified in this Volume shall, through

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) defines a

“One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the

Privacy & Cookies Policy

“Running rope in service shall be visually inspected daily, unless a qualified

Privacy & Cookies Policy

According to the B30.30 Standard, inspectors are looking for:

Distortion of rope structure

Gross damage or deterioration of the end connections

Evidence of heat, electrical, or lightning damage, or localized change in

visual inspection of the entire rope length shall be made to evaluate

Repetitive Wear Sections

Flange step-up, crossover, and repetitive pickup points on the drum

Reverse bends in the reeving system

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Sheave/drum groove wear or corrugation

Known Wear Areas Based on Previous Experience with the Machine

Locations Where Rope Vibrations are Damped

Sections in contact with equalizer sheaves or other sheaves where

Sections of the rope at or near end connections where corroded or

Rope in the bridle reeving in boom hoists

Repetitive pickup points and crossover and change-of-layer points

Fleeting or deflector sheaves

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Timing of Crane Rope Inspections

Boom Hoist Rope Inspections

Heavy Rope Service-Not to exceed two months or 335 hours of rope

Severe Rope Service-Not to exceed one month or 165 hours of rope

Special Rope Service-Less than 165 hours of rope operation

Privacy & Cookies Policy

All Other Wire Rope Inspections

Heavy Rope Service-Not to exceed six months or 1,000 hours of rope

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Severe Rope Service-Not to exceed three months or 500 hours of rope

Special Rope Service-Less than 500 hours of rope operation

Unique construction and susceptibility to damage and increased

Duty cycle operations

Rope operating in chemically active environments

Rope other than Category 1 rotation-resistant rope operating with active

Rope operating over synthetic sheaves with single-layer drums

Ropes affected by “unusual occurrences” include:

Abnormal shock load

Overload on a wire rope

Common Types of Wire Rope Damage Found During

What problems are inspectors looking for during an examination of the

According to ASME B30.30, damage to wire rope comes in many forms,

Rope Diameter-The rope should be measured in numerous locations to

Distortion of Rope Structure-Examples of this form of damage include

Corrosion-Removal criteria include widespread or localized external