What is lay length?

• A. length of rope on drum
• B. distance parallel to center line of a rope where a strand completes a turn
• C. rope circumference
• D. number of strands

Answer: (B)

Lay length is the distance along the rope’s axis that a strand travels as it makes one complete turn around the rope’s centerline. In other words, it’s the pitch of the helical wrap of the strands, measured parallel to the centerline. This is distinct from the rope’s circumference (around the rope) and from how many strands are in the rope. So the lay length is the axial distance over which a strand completes a full turn around the rope.