Impact of knots on rope strength


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neilm
neilm
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There is some good data on the extent to which various knots weaken ropes at
http://caves.org/section/vertical/nh/50/knotrope-hold.html



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Dick
Dick
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neilm - 5/16/2019
Simon Currin - 5/16/2019
Neil
Was it a figure of eight that failed on the Series Drogue that led to the loss of a Golden Globe Boat?
Simon

neilm - 5/15/2019
There is some good data on the extent to which various knots weaken ropes at
http://caves.org/section/vertical/nh/50/knotrope-hold.html 
To summarize, double and single sheet bends give only about 50% of the rope strength, and then only if backed up by half hitches to resist pulling out.
The fisherman's knot gives 75% strength, and is safer with half hitch backups

For loops, a bowline is about 65% of a splice, and double figure eight loop about 75%

Splices have the full strength of the rope, if well done.

On a related issue, an article on the impact of water on strength of climbing ropes shows that wet nylon has only about 30% of the strength of dry nylon when subject to abrupt shock loads, such as a falling rock climber.  I suspect the situation is not quite so bad in the less abrupt shock loads seen in anchor rodes.  Data on tests would be very interesting.


The failure was at a point where both legs of the bridle (terminated in eyesplices)  were cow-hitched to a loop made with a figure of eight. Seems that the figure eight failed.   My info is mostly  from John Harrie's article at  https://www.morganscloud.com/2019/04/15/susie-goodalls-series-drogue-failure/     
Two cow hitch/splices were sharing the load, whereas the figure eight was on its own.

Hi Simon,
Interesting. And I am very glad that I am not doing the R&D necessary to fine tune the JSD's use. Dick
GO

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