Prediction of steel wire rope fatigue life based on thermal measurements

•A thermographic method is applied to steel wire rope fatigue tests.•The energy converted into damage was estimated from thermal measurements.•The initial dissipated energy variation allows predicting fatigue life.•Rope temperature at failure is also correlated to the fatigue life.•Easy definition of an energy-based damage fraction for cumulative damage criteria. This paper proposes a thermal method for estimating fatigue life of metallic ropes. Rotating bending fatigue tests are performed on rope specimens and their temperature evolution is monitored till specimen failure. The proposed method is justified through a theoretical framework based on thermally dissipated energy and energy spent for mechanical damage. Experimental fatigue tests are carried out in different conditions by primarily varying the bending load and the rotational speed. Experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical model allowing the estimation of damage evolution and rope life via thermal measurements. [Display omitted]