Fibre and wire ropes are primarily intended for service as tensile elements, but failure may
result from axial compression of parts of the cross-section, namely individual fibres, yarns or
strands, while the bulk of the rope is safely in tension. Similar effects may occur in other
textile structures, such as carpets or industrial woven fabrics. If the axial compression leads
to a mild rounded buckling, as in an elastic deformation, there will be little damage, but if, as
often happens, plastic yielding leads to sharp kinks, then fibres will fail in repeated cycling.
In ropes, axial compression of individual components can arise from a number of causes
including: