Een '''staalkabel''' een kabel geslagen van stalen draden, soms met een touwkern. Een staalkabel dient om trekkrachten over te brengen, bijvoorbeeld bij gebruik in een lift, een lier, een tuibrug, een kabelbaan en een hijskraan.

Het grootste voordeel van staal boven touw-rekt en krimpt met het veranderen van de luchtvochtigheid. Het is bovendien een materiaal waarvan men de eigenschappen tijdens productie beheersbaar onder controle heeft.

==Treksterkte==
De treksterkte van een kabel is afhankelijk van de sterkte van de individuele strengen en van de vullingsgraad van de kabel. Er zijn verschillende manieren om staalkabels te slaan (zogenaamde langsslag- of dwarsslagkabels), waardoor een betere vullingsgraad te bereiken is, maar ook vragen sommige toepassingen om bijzondere opbouw van de staalkabel. Zeer hoogwaardige staalkabels worden aan de buitenkant soms geperst in een ronde vorm, waardoor de vulling nog beter wordt en de wrijving aan de buitenzijde kleiner.

De levensduur van een staalkabel wordt uitgedrukt in tonmileage, dwz de kabel kan zoveel kilometer in- of uitgehaald worden met zoveel ton. 

Staalkabels werden in het verleden gecontroleerd door een inspecteur door met een dot poetskatoen langs de kabel te lopen. Bij iedere breuk bleef een pluisje hangen. Hingen er te veel pluisjes aan de kabel, dan werd deze afgekeurd.

thumb|Steel wire rope (right hand lay)

'''Wire rope''' consists of several strands laid (or 'twisted') together like a helix. Each strand is likewise made of metal wires laid together like a helix.  Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes.

==History and materials==
Modern wire rope was invented by the German chains, such as had been used before.

Wilhelm Albert's first ropes consisted of wires twisted about a hemp rope core, six such strands then being twisted around another hemp rope core in alternating directions for extra stability. Earlier forms of wire rope had been made by covering a bundle of wires with hemp. 

In America wire rope was later manufactured by John A. Roebling, forming the basis for his success in suspension bridge building. Roebling introduced a number of innovations in the design, materials and manufacture of wire rope.

Manufacturing a wire rope is similar to making one from natural fibres. The individual wires are first twisted into a strand, then six or so such strands again twisted around a core. This core may consist of steel, but also of natural fibres such as manila, henequen, jute, or hemp. This is used to cushion off stress forces when bending the rope.
 
This flexibility is particularly vital in ropes used in machinery such as cranes or cable cars, cable railways, funiculars and aerial lifts. It is not quite so essential in suspension bridges and similar uses.

Wire rope is often sold with vinyl and nylon coatings. This increases weather resistance and overall durability, however it can lead to weak joints if the coating is not removed correctly underneath joints and connections.

==Lay of wire rope==
thumb|Left-hand ordinary lay (LHOL) wire rope (close-up). Right-hand lay strands are laid into a left-hand lay rope. |300px
thumb|Right-hand Lang's lay (RHLL) wire rope (close-up). Right-hand lay strands are laid into a right-hand lay rope. |300px
The lay of a wire rope describes the manner in which either the wires in a strand, or the strands in the rope, are laid in a helix.

===Left and right hand lay===
Left hand lay or right hand lay describe the manner in which the strands are laid to form the rope. To determine the lay of strands in the rope, a viewer looks at the rope as it points away from them.  If the strands appear to turn in a clockwise direction, or like a right-hand thread, as the strands progress away from the viewer, the rope has a right hand lay.  The picture of steel wire rope on this page shows a rope with right hand lay.  If the strands appear to turn in an anti-clockwise direction, or like a left-hand thread, as the strands progress away from the viewer, the rope has a left hand lay.

===Ordinary, Lang's and alternate lay===
Ordinary and Lang's lay describe the manner in which the wires are laid to form a strand of the wire rope.  To determine which has been used first identify if left or right hand lay has been used to make the rope.  Then identify if a right or left hand lay has been used to twist the wires in each strand.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| '''Ordinary lay'''
| The lay of wires in each strand is in the opposite direction to the lay of the strands that form the wire.
|-
| '''Lang's lay'''
| The lay of wires in each strand is in the same direction as the lay of the strands that form the wire.
|-
| '''Alternate lay'''
| The lay of wires in the strands alternate around the rope between being in the opposite and same direction to the lay of the strands that form the wire rope.
|-
| '''Regular lay'''
| Alternate term for ordinary lay.
|-
| '''Albert's lay'''
| Archaic term for Lang's lay.
|-
| '''Reverse lay'''
| Alternate term for alternate lay.
|-
| '''Spring lay''' 
| This is not a term used to classify a lay as defined in this section.  It refers to a specific construction type of wire rope.
|}

==Construction and specification==
thumb|Wire rope construction
thumb|This image of a fraying wire rope shows some individual wires.
The specification of a wire rope type &ndash; including the number of wires per strand, the number of strands, and the lay of the rope &ndash; is documented using a commonly accepted coding system, consisting of a number of abbreviations.

This is easily demonstrated with a simple example.  The rope shown in the figure "Wire rope construction" is designated thus:
'''6x19 FC RH OL FSWR'''<br />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| '''6'''
| Number of strands that make up the rope
|-
| '''19'''
| Number of wires that make up each strand
|-
| '''FC'''
| Fibre core
|-
| '''RH'''
| Right hand lay
|-
| '''OL'''
| Ordinary lay
|-
| '''FSWR'''
| Flexible steel wire rope
|}
Each of the sections of the wire rope designation described above is variable.  There are therefore a large number of combinations of wire rope that can be specified in this manner.  The following abbreviations are commonly used to specify a wire rope.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Abbr.
! Description
|-
| FC
| Fibre core
|-
| FSWR
| Flexible steel wire rope
|-
| FW
| Filler wire
|-
| IWR
| Independent wire rope
|-
| IWRC
| Independent wire rope core
|-
| J
| Jute (fibre)
|-
| LH
| Left hand lay
|-
| LL
| Lang's lay
|-
| NR
| Non-rotating
|-
| OL
| Ordinary lay
|-
| RH
| Right hand lay
|-
| S
| Seale
|-
| SF
| Seale filler wire
|-
| SW
| Seale Warrington
|-
| SWL
| Safe working load
|-
| TS
| Triangular strand
|-
| W
| Warrington
|-
| WF
| Warriflex
|-
| WLL
| Working load limit
|-
| WS
| Warrington Seale
|}'''

==Terminations==
thumb|500px|RHOL wire rope terminated in a loop with a thimble and talurit splice

The end of a wire rope tends to fray readily, and cannot be easily connected to plant and equipment.  A number of different mechanisms exist to secure the ends of wire ropes to make them more useful.  The most common and useful type of end fitting for a wire rope is when the end is turned back to form a loop.  The loose end is then fixed by any number of methods back to the wire rope.  