Wire Rope Definition a. Wires: steel wires for wire ropes are normally made of non-alloy carbon steel with a carbon content of 0.4 to 0.95%. The tensile forces and to run over sheaves with relatively small diameters. b. Strand: the strand is a component of wire rope usually consisting of an assembly of wires of appropriate diamsions laid helically in one or more layers around a central element. c. Core: the core is the central element, of fiber or steel, around which are laid helically the outer strands of wire rope. The core provides proper support for the strands under normal bending and loading conditions. d. Wire rope is several strands of metal wire twisted into a helix forming a composite "rope", in a pattern known as "laid rope". Larger diameter wire rope consists of multiple strands.