CORDAGE
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IMPORTANT WARNINGS Failure to follow warnings and instructions can result in serious injury or death. Refer to warnings These warnings also apply to cordage (rope). Only additional warnings and information are listed below. Never exceed the Working Load Limit of rope. Use Working Load Limits as published as guidelines only. Working Load Limit may have to be reduced when life, limb or valuable property are at risk, or other than new rope is used. When using multiple leg rope slings, the Working Load Limit of each leg will have to be reduced considerably. Consult industry recommendations for information such as published by the Cordage Institute. Working Load Limit does not apply if rope has been subjected to severe dynamic loading, which may not be visible. Avoid overheating. Exposure to high temperatures will cause ropes to lose strength rapidly. Even temperatures as low as 150° F (66” C) can reduce the strength of some ropes by 50%. When using synthetic rope (especially polypropylene) on a capstan or a winch, be careful to avoid excessive friction which heats, melts and fuses the outer fibers of the rope. Avoid repeated surging or hard rendering around poles or over cross arms. Polyester rope resists overheating best because its melting point is highest. Attachments must have at least the same Working Load Limit as the rope used. Hooks, links, shackles, etc. must be of suitable material and strength to provide adequate safety protection. Splice rope properly and use thimbles if applicable. Choose rope to match gear or gear to match rope. Sheaves , pulleys, thimbles, etc. that do not match the size of rope being used can cause dangerous friction, abrasion, overload, etc. Keep out from under a raised load. Do not move load over people. Do not ride on load. Conduct all lifting operations in such a manner that if equipment were to fail or break, no personnel would be injured. This means KEEP OUT FROM UNDER A RAISED LOAD, DO NOT OPERATE LOADS OVER PEOPLE AND KEEP OUT OF THE LINE OF FORCE. Avoid shock loads. Rope that is strong enough to withstand a steady pull can be broken with a sudden jerk. Be aware of all possible dynamic loading situations. Avoid them when possible and allow for strong enough rope when they cannot be avoided. Keep in mind that the effects of dynamic loading are greater on shorter ropes than on longer ones and greater on low elongation ropes (such as Manila and polypropylene) than on high elongation rope (such as nylon). Never stand in the line of rope under strain. If the rope breaks it will recoil with considerable force, especially if it is nylon. Inspect rope frequently. Closely examine entire length of rope for damage to determine general condition and detect localized wear. Excessive abrasion, fusing of outside fibers, hackles, rust or other chemical stains, broken fibers or other obvious damage to rope are reasons to retire rope from service. Internal damage can be assessed by twisting strands open and checking for powdered fiber. Rope that is suspected of having been exposed to severe shock loads or loads close to its catalog Breaking Strength should be retired immediately. Such damage may not be visible. Actual remaining strength of damaged or used rope can only be established by laboratory analysis and tension tests.
CORDAGE
Destroy, rather than discard, rope to be retired. It might be used again by someone not aware of the hazard or defect. This is best achieved by cutting it up into short pieces.
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Rope slings. Refer to OSHA standard 1910.184 and ASME standard B30.9 for design factors and other important information. Other standards and information may apply in specific applications. Refer to ..Proper Care of Rope.. for additional important cautions.
PROPER CARE OF ROPE Avoid abrasion and unnecessary wear. Outer fibers as well as inner fibers contribute to a rope’s strength. When outer fibers are worn by chafing or dragging over splintered, rough or gritty surfaces, the rope is worn and weakened. When rope is used on cleats, winchheads, etc. make sure they are smooth and use chafing gear if necessary. Avoid sharp angles and bends. Sharp angles greatly affect the strength of a rope. Any sharp angle or bend is a weak spot Use thimbles or chafing gear or padding where possible. Knots are also weak spots. They can reduce strength by as much as 50% or more. Use splices instead. Splice rope correctly. When a small section of a rope has been worn or damaged, cut out the section and splice it together. Splice in extra tucks for synthetic fiber ropes. Use proper splicing procedures as outlined by the Cordage Institute. Do not resplice rope that broke due to being overloaded -discard it instead. Its remaining strength will only be a fraction of the Working Load Limit when new. Prevent unraveling of rope -whip or tape cut ends. Avoid sustained loads. Fiber ropes subjected to heavy loads for long periods of time can break well below catalog Breaking Strength. Natural fiber ropes such as Manila and Sisal have less ability to take sustained loads than synthetic fiber ropes such as nylon or polypropylene. Never exceed the Working Load Limit and do not subject fiber rope to sustained loads for more than two days. Avoid rust. All ropes, synthetic or natural, should be kept away from rusting iron or steel. Rust can cause rapid loss of strength, sometimes in as short a time as one to two weeks. If ropes become rust stained, inspect the extent of the stain. If it is halfway through the rope, then rope strength may be reduced by as much as 50%. Keep rope away from chemicals. Even though synthetic rope is generally considered to be resistant to damage from oils, gasoline, paint and most chemicals, exposure to any of these may cause some damage. Avoid contact with such things as storage battery solution, washing compounds or solutions, and animal wastes. Strong acids, alkalis and solvents can damage any rope. Natural fiber rope is extremely vulnerable to all chemicals and solvents. Avoid the use of swivels in ropes under load- a loss of turn will cause permanent damage to the rope. Never use a nylon line which has a high stretch factor in combination with another rope of low stretch. The nylon line will stretch and not carry its proportionate share of the load, thus putting extra strain on the other lines. Reverse ends of the rope periodically. Especially in tackles and winches, reverse the rope end-for-end periodically so that all sections will be worn equally. Also, using a line in one direction over a winch many times can also damage the rope by twisting it too tight or untwisting it so that hackles occur. Kinks pulled through a restricted space such as a tackle block, can seriously damage rope fibers. The initial use should be in a clockwise direction, then reverse the rope periodically. Slack off guys in wet weather. When ropes are used as guy lines or other supports exposed to weather, they should be slacked off in wet weather, or damage to the rope, as well as what it is supporting, may result Store rope properly. Rope is best stored in a dry, unheated place where air circulates freely, off the floor, and away from direct sunlight and other contact with the elements. Keep in mind that synthetic ropes will deteriorate in direct sunlight due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Light colored polypropylene especially is severely affected, smaller diameters more so than larger sizes. Natural fiber ropes (Manila and Sisal) will deteriorate in storage even under ideal conditions. Dry rope properly. Whenever natural fiber ropes become wet they should always be thoroughly dried before they are stored or they will rot in a very short time. Do NOT dry synthetic fiber rope in direct sunlight Keep rope clean. Dirt on the surface of rope can become embedded inside and act as an abrasive on fibers. When rope gets dirty, wash it thoroughly with clean fresh water. Remember to dry natural fiber rope before storing. Remove rope from coils and reels properly. Regular right hand laid rope should be uncoiled in a counter clockwise direction. Coiled rope: Lay the coil on the floor with the inside end at the bottom, then reach down through the center and pull the inside Reeled rope: Remove the rope from a reel by pulling it off the top while the reel is free to rotate. Rope should never be taken from a reel lying on its end because it is more likely to kink or hackle or pull yarns on the wooden flange. When substituting natural fiber rope with synthetic fiber ropes (or substituting one synthetic rope for another) substitution should not be made on a straight breaking strength-for-breaking strength basis only. Other important factors must be considered.
CORDAGE
up through the coil.
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NYLON ROPE Read important warnings and information preceding cordage section US Made
3-STRAND, TWISTED, SOFT-LAY, WHITE. Supplied on reels. Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Feet per Reel
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Approx. Net Weight per Reel in Pounds**
Net Weight per 100' in Pounds
Feet per Pound
1/4" 1/4" 5/16" 5/16" 3/8" 7/16" 1/2" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4" 3/4" 718" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 1.3/4" 2" 2" 2.1/2" 3" 3"
3/4" 3/4" 1" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 1.1/2" 2" 2.1/4" 2.1/4" 2.3/4" 3" 3.1/2" 3.3/4" 4.1/2" 5.1/2" 6" 6" 7.1/2" 9" 9"
600 1,200 600 1,200 600 600 600 1,200 600 600 1,200 600 600 600 600 600 600 300 600 600 300 600
124 124 192 192 278 410 525 525 935 1,420 1,420 2,000 2,520 3,320 3,760 5,320 7,800 9,200 9,200 14,000 20,000 20,000
1,485 1,485 2,250 2,250 3,330 4,500 5,760 5,760 9,360 12,750 12,750 18,000 22,500 29,800 33,750 47,700 70,000 82,800 82,800 126,000 180,000 180 000
9 18 15 30 21 30 39 78 63 87 174 120 158 204 240 330 498 285 570 894 630 1,260
1.5 1.5 2.5 2.5 3.5 5.0 6.5 6.5 10.5 14.5 14.5 20.0 26.4 34.0 40.0 55.0 83.0 95.0 95.0 148.0 209.0 209.0
66.7 66.7 40.0 40.0 28.6 20.0 15.4 15.4 9.5 6.9 6.9 5.0 3.8 2.9 2.5 1.8 1.2 1.05 1.05 .67 .48 .48
CORDAGE
8-STRAND, BRAIDED, SOFT-LAY, WHITE.
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Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Feet per Reel
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Approx. Net Weight per Reel in Pounds**
Net Weight per 100' in Pounds
Feet per Pound
2.5/8" 3" 3.1/4" 3.1/2" 4" 4.1/2"
8" 9" 10" 11" 12" 14"
600 600 600 600 600 600
16,300 20,000 24,700 29,700 35,600 47,500
148,500 180,000 225,000 270,000 324,000 432,000
1,002 1,284 1,572 1,914 2,286 3,144
167 214 262 319 381 524
.59 .47 .38 .31 .26 .19
* Breaking Strength listed for comparison only. Never exceed the Working Load Limit. **Weights may vary + or -5%.
POLYPROPYLENE Read important warnings and information preceding cordage section
3-STRAND, TWISTED, YELLOW. Sizes 7/8” and up supplied in coils. Smaller sizes supplied on reels. Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Feet per Reel
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Net Weight per 100' in Pounds
Feet per Pound
1/4" 1/4" 5/16" 5/16" 3/8" ** 3/8" 7/16" 1/2" ** 1/2" 9/16" 5/8" 518" 3/4" ** 3/4" 718" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 1.3/4" 2"
3/4" 3/4" 1" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 1.1/2" 1.3/4" 2" 2" 2.1/4" 2.1/4" 2.3/4" 3" 3.1/2" 3.3/4" 4.1/2" 5.1/2" 6"
600 1,200 600 1,200 600 1,200 600 600 1,200 600 600 1,200 600 1,200 600 600 600 600 600 300 600
113 113 171 171 244 244 352 420 420 575 700 700 1,090 1,090 1,490 1,800 2,360 2,700 3,820 5,550 6,700
1,130 1'130 1,710 1,710 2,440 2,440 3,160 3,780 3,780 4,600 5,600 5,600 7,650 7,650 10,400 12,600 16,500 18,900 26,800 38,800 46,800
1.20 1.20 1.80 1.80 2.80 2.80 3.80 4.70 4.70 6.10 7.50 7.50 10.7 10.7 15.0 18.0 23.8 27.0 38.4 59.0 69.0
83.3 83.3 55.6 55.6 35.7 35.7 26.3 21.3 21.3 16.4 13.3 13.3 9.4 9.4 6.7 5.6 4.2 3.7 2.6 1.7 1.45
* Breaking Strength listed for comparison only. Never exceed the Working Load Limit. **California truck rope available (black polypropylene with orange surface marker, per specification of the California State Highway Patrol.)
CORDAGE
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PURE MANILA ROPE Read important warnings and information preceding cordage section
3-STRAND Twisted, according to Federal Specification T-R-605b. Grade 1. Supplied in Coils. Up to 3/4” x 600 packed in cartons. Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Feet per Coil
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Net Weight per 100' in Pounds
Feet per Pound
1/4" 1/4" 5/16" 3/8" 3/8" 7116" 1/2" 1/2" 5/8" 5/8" 3/4" 3/4" 13/16" 7/8" 1" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/8" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/4" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 2"
3/4" 3/4" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 1.1/2" 2" 2" 2.1/4" 2.1/4" 2.1/2" 2.3/4" 3" 3" 3.1/2" 3.1/2" 3.1/2" 3.3/4" 3.3/4" 3.3/4" 4.1/2" 6"
1,250 2,500 1,200 600 1,200 600 600 1,200 600 1,200 600 1,200 600 600 600 1,200 600 300 350 600 300 350 600 600
54 54 90 122 122 176 264 264 496 496 695 695 835 995 1'160 1,160 1,540 1,540 1,540 1,740 1,740 1,740 2,380 4,000
540 540 900 1,220 1,220 1,580 2,380 2,380 3,960 3,960 4,860 4,860 5,850 6,950 8,100 8,100 10,800 10,800 10,800 12,200 12,200 12,200 16,700 28,000
2.0 2.0 2.9 4.1 4.1 5.25 7.5 7.5 13.3 13.3 16.7 16.7 19.5 22.4 27.0 27.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 41.6 41.6 41.6 60.0 108.0
50.0 50.0 34.5 24.4 24.4 19.1 13.3 13.3 7.5 7.5 6.0 6.0 5.13 4.46 3.70 3.70 2.78 2.78 2.78 2.40 2.40 2.40 1.67 .93
4-STRAND
CORDAGE
Twisted, supplied in Coils
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Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Feet per Coil
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Net Weight per 100' in Pounds
Feet per Pound
1" 1.1/8" 1.1/4"
3" 3.1/2" 3.3/4"
600 600 600
1,100 1,465 1,660
7,700 10,260 11,600
27.5 37.3 45.2
3.65 2.68 2.21
•
Breaking Strength listed for comparison only. Never exceed the Working Load Limit.
SISAL ROPE Read important warnings and information preceding cordage section
3-STRAND Unoiled, clipped white sisal. Coiled in cartons.
Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Weight per Carton in Pounds
Feet per Carton (Approx)
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Feet per Pound
3/16" 1/4" 5/16" 3/8" 7/16" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4"
5/8" 3/4" 1" 1.1/8" 1.1/4" 1.1/2" 2" 2.1/4"
50 50 50 50 50 50 80 100
3,330 2,500 1,725 1,220 950 665 600 600
36 48 80 108 156 236 440 617
360 480 800 1,080 1,400 2,120 3,520 4,320
66.6 50.0 34.5 24.4 19.0 13.3 7.5 6.0
BABY COILS - SISAL ROPE Nominal Diameter
Nominal Circumference
Coils per Carton
Feet per Carton (Approx)
Working Load Limit in Pounds
Breaking Strength in Pounds*
Pounds per Carton
Feet per Pound
1/4" 1/4" 3/8"
3/4" 3/4" 1.1/8"
48 48 48
50 100 50
48 48 108
480 480 1,080
48 96 98
50.0 50.0 24.4
* Breaking Strength listed for comparison only. Never exceed the Working Load Limit.
CORDAGE
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USEFUL CONVERSION FACTORS AND TABLES
11b. 1 kg 1 kN (kilonewton) 1 short ton 1 long ton 1 metric ton 1 ft. 1m 1 inch 1 mm 1 yard 1m 1 mile 1 km
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.45359 kg (kilogram) 2.20462 lbs. 101.972 kg = 224.809 lbs. 2,000 lbs. = 907.185 kg 2,240 lbs. = 1,016.05 kg 2,204.62 lbs. = 1,000 kg
1 mile 1 yard 1ft. 1 fathom 1 lb.
.3048 m (meter) 3.28084 ft. = 39.3701 inches 25.4 mm (millimeter) 0.03937 inches .9144 m 1.0936 yards 1.60934 km (kilometer) .62137 mile
1 kilometer 1 meter 1 centimeter 1 kilogram
1,760 yards = 5,280 ft. 3 ft. = 36 inches 12 inches 6ft. 16 ounces
1,000 meters 100 centimeters 10 millimeters 1,000 grams
Inch
Decimals of an inch
Millimeters
Inch
Decimals of an inch
Millimeters
Inch
Decimals of an inch
Millimeters
1/16 3/32 1/8 5/32 3/16 7/32 1/4 9/32 5/16 3/8 7/16 1/2 9/16 5/8 -
.03937 .0625 .07874 .09375 .11811 .125 .15625 .15748 .187 .19685 .21875 .23622 .25 .275591 .28125 .3125 .314961 .354331 .375 .393701 .433071 .4375 .472441 .50 .511811 .551181 .5625 .590551 .625 .629921 .669291
1.0 1.587 2.0 2.381 3.0 3.175 3.968 4.0 4.762 5.0 5.556 6.0 6.35 7.0 7.143 7.937 8.0 9.0 9.525 10.0 11.0 11.112 12.0 12.70 13.0 14.0 14.287 15.0 15.875 16.0 17.0
3/4 7/8 15/16 1 1.1/8 1.1/4 1.3/8 1.1/2 -
.708661 .748031 .75 .787402 .826772 .866142 .875 .905512 .9375 .944882 .984252 1.00 1.023622 1.062992 1.102362 1.125 1.141732 1.181102 1.220472 1.25 1.259843 1.299213 1.338583 1.375 1.377953 1.417323 1.456693 1.496063 1.50 1.535433 1.574803
18.0 19.0 19.05 20.0 21.0 22.0 22.225 23.0 23.812 24.0 25.0 25.4 26.0 27.0 28.0 28.575 29.0 30.0 31.0 31.75 32.0 33.0 34.0 34.925 35.0 36.0 37.0 38.0 38.10 39.0 40.0
1.5/8 1.3/4 1.7/8 2 2.1/8 2.1/4 2.3/8 2.1/2
1.614173 1.625 1.653543 1.692913 1.732283 1.75 1.771654 1.811024 1.850394 1.875 1.889764 1.929134 1.968504 2.00 2.007874 2.047244 2.086614 2.125 2.125984 2.165354 2.204724 2.244094 2.25 2.283465 2.322835 2.362205 2.375 2.401575 2.440945 2.480315 2.50
41.0 41.275 42.0 43.0 44.0 44.45 45.0 46.0 47.0 47.625 48.0 49.0 50.0 50.80 51.0 52.0 53.0 53.975 54.0 55.0 56.0 57.0 57.15 58.0 59.0 60.0 60.325 61.0 62.0 63.0 63.5
CONSULTING CONSULT THE FOLLOWING SOURCES FOR IMPORTANT TECHNICAL LITERATURE AND OR SAFETY MANUALS.
American Iron & Steel Institute 1133 15th St. N.W., Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005 Telephone: 202/452-7100 American National Standards Institute 11 W. 42nd St., 13th Floor New York, NY 10036 Telephone: 212/642-4900 American Petroleum Institute Publication Department 1220 L St. N.W. Washington, DC 20005 Telephone: 202/682-8375 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers 22 Law Drive P.O. Box 2300 Fairfield, NJ 07007 Telephone: 201/882-1167 American Society for Testing Material 1916 Race Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: 215/299-5585
The Cordage Institute 42 North Street Hingham, MA 02043 Telephone: 617/749-1016 The Hand Tools Institute 25 N. Braodway Tarrytown, NY 10591 Telephone: 914/332-0040 National Safety Council 444 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 Telephone: 312/527-4800 Occupational Safety & Health Administration Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Room N 3101 Washington DC 20210 Telephone: 202/523-9667 U.S. Government Printing Office Postal Code 9325 Superintendent of Documents Washington, DC 20402 Telephone: 202/783-3238 Wire Rope Technical Board P.O. Box 849 Stevensville, MD 21666 Telephone: 301/643-4161
ANSI/ASME Standards United Engineering Center 345 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017 Telephone: 212/642-4900 Construction Safety Association of Ontario 74 Victoria Street, 1Oth Floor Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C2A5 Telephone: 416/366-1501
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