  This contribution aims at introducing first steps to develop hysteresis
operator type inelastic constitutive laws for Cosserat rods for the simulation
of cables composed of complex interior components. Motivated by the basic
elements of Cosserat rod theory, we develop a specific approach to constitutive
modelling adapted for this application. Afterwards, we describe the
hysteretical behaviour arising from cyclic bending experiments on cables by
means of the Preisach operator. As shown in pure bending experiments, slender
structures such as electric cables behave inelastically, and open hysteresis
loops arise with noticeable difference between the first load cycle and the
following ones. The Preisach operator plays an important role in describing the
input-output relation in hysteresis behaviours, and it can be expressed as a
superposition of relay operators. Hence, a mathematical formulation of the
problem is introduced, and a first attempt is made to determine the hysteresis
behaviour that describes the relation between curvature and bending moment.
Therefore, a suitable kernel function is identified in a way that its
integration over the Preisach plane results in the bending moment of the
specimen, and a comparison between different kernel functions is performed.
