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The purpose of this study is to research the influence of wire’s surface topography on interwire contact performance of simple spiral strand.

The mechanical model of the simple spiral strand imposed by a tensile load is first established, into which the surface topography, Poisson’s ratio effect and radial deformation are incorporated simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Gaussian and non-Gaussian rough surfaces of the steel wires are obtained with the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and digital filter technology. Then, the rough interwire contact performance of the simple spiral strand is calculated by using conjugate gradient method and FFT.

As compared with smooth wire surface, both the longitudinal orientation for the Gaussian wire surface and large kurtosis or small skewness for the non-Gaussian surface yield a small contact pressure and stress.

This study conducts detailed discussion of the influence of wire’s surface topography on the interwire contact performance for the simple spiral strand and gives a beneficial reference for the design and application of a wire rope.

This chapter examines how the breakthrough of Zhang Ziyi's depiction of a female kung fu master in The Grandmaster (2013) transforms the figure of the heroine in Chinese action films. Zhang is well known for her acting in action films conducted by renowned directors, such as Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou and Wong Kar-wai. After winning 12 different Best Actress awards for her portrayal of Gong Ruomei in The Grandmaster, Zhang announced that she would no longer perform in any action films to show her highest respect for the superlative character Gong. Tracing Zhang's transformational portrait of a heroine in The Grandmaster alongside her other action roles, this analysis demonstrates how her performance projects the directors' distinctive gender viewpoints. I argue that Zhang's characterisation of Gong remodels heroine-hood in Chinese action films. Inheriting the typical plot of a daughter's use of martial arts for revenge for her father's death, Gong breaks from conventional Chinese action films that highlight romantic love during a woman's adventure and the decisive final battle scene. Beyond the propensity for sensory stimulation, Gong's characterisation enables Zhang to determine that women can really act in action films – demonstrating their inner power and ability to create multi-layered characters – not merely relying upon physical action. This chapter offers a relational perspective of how women transform the action film genre not merely as gender spectacles but as embodied figures that represent emerging female subjectivity.