What are the three types of wire rope cores?

• A. Strands, wires, and core
• B. Strands, fibers, and core
• C. Cores, wires, and strands
• D. Wires, coils, and core

Answer: (A)

The thing being tested is what can sit at the center of a wire rope and how that choice changes performance. There are three core options you’ll see in practice: fiber core, strand core, and wire rope core.

A fiber core uses natural or synthetic fibers. It makes the rope very flexible and light, but its crush resistance and long-term strength under heavy loads aren’t as high.

A strand core is formed from a core made of strands. It provides better crush resistance than a fiber core and maintains decent flexibility, offering a middle ground.

A wire rope core is itself a small length of wire rope. This steel core gives the strongest and most crush-resistant rope, but it’s the stiffest and usually the most expensive, with less flexibility.

The choices listed don’t name these three core types precisely; the standard trio to memorize is fiber core, strand core, and wire rope core.