EuroSpeleo 2016 Sessions

Field Trip - Hands On Rope Testing

Session code: OT7

Field / Technical, Main EuroSpeleo Conference

Dr Bob Mehew

Summary

The field trip will be a visit to the near by Bradford Pothole Club's Rope Test Rig located at their hut in Horton in Ribblesdale. The rig together with a tensile tester will be shown in action. Together, these rigs provide an ability to both dynamically and statically test rope. The aim of the trip will be to provide an opportunity to discuss in depth the design and operation of the instrumentation and see it in action. Data processing techniques will also be on show.

Attendees can either turn up and stop for as long as they wish or attend all day. The session will last from 10am to 4pm. Hot refreshments (but not food) will be available. The hut is accessible via a train ride together with a 3km walk but hopefully we an organize sharing of private vehicles. An indication of interest should be lodged at the on site mobile rope test rig which will be operational through out the week. The date of the trip will be set closer to the event.

For back ground information, see the web site at http://www.roperesearch.co.uk/index.html

Biography

I have been BCA’s Rope Test Officer for over 10 years and tested well over 1000 samples of rope. We have both a mobile rig and fixed rig instrumented to measure the energy required to dynamically break a rope, see CREG Journals 75 & 90.