new application in the ocean. An engineering analysis of electro- 

 mechanical cable is presently difficult due to the lack of data from 

 actual ocean usage. 



Literature surveys, conducted as part of this study, reveal only a 

 minimum of data in very specialized areas. Seafloor cables have bene- 

 fited from years of private industry money being invested for research 

 in developing the technology of design and handling of these cables. 

 E-M structural cables deal with a relatively new application and, infor- 

 mation is not available in the literature for two reasons, first the 

 classified nature of the application and, secondly, many implants have 

 been unsuccessful. 



Recent problems with the cables of Project SEA SPIDER, AFAR, LRAPP, 

 and some of the E-M working cable problems such as on DOTIPOS, have 

 focused attention on long lengths of cable. In each of the above- 

 mentioned projects the E-M cable was sufficiently damaged either through 

 improper handling or improper design, to make the system inoperable. The 

 high cost of placing material and equipment in the ocean warrants a 

 thorough evaluation of the problems associated with long lengths of E-M 

 cable. 



A personal contact survey was conducted by engineers from the Naval 

 Civil Engineering Laboratory who visited most of the American manufac- 

 turers and many of the users of electro-mechanical cables of the types 

 discussed above. Questionnaires were filled out for each of the types 

 of users and for each of the cables they used. Representative questions 

 dealt with cable description, application, problems, and recommendations 

 as to where future research efforts could best aid in eliminating the 

 deficiencies in the technology. 



