Expert on steel cables available to discuss Lisbon funicular tragedy

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Deborah Chung, a University at Buffalo researcher who studies steel cables used in funiculars and bridges, is available to discuss the composition of these materials, how they behave under stress, as well as how they’re typically inspected.

“Steel cables, or ropes, are used in a wide range of applications, including funiculars and bridges, to move and secure heavy loads,” said Chung, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Her comments follow the tragic funicular crash that killed at least 16 people in Portugal on Wednesday. Local news reports have suggested the accident was the result of a cable failure, while Portuguese officials say they’re still investigating the cause.

“Historically, funicular cables like this are inspected visually,” said Chung.

Chung recently co-authored a study published in the journal Construction and Building Materials that explores a new method of monitoring cables by measuring how their electrical properties change in response to tension.

The study examined three types of steel cables, and found that the cables can serve as built-in sensors themselves. This works by measuring the cables’ inductance – a property of an electric circuit by which an electromotive force is induced in it by a variation of current either in the circuit itself or in a neighboring circuit.