Descent Control Devices
Below is a series of links to all the publically available research on descent control devices and their behaviors we have found to date (we exclude papers with analyses and other citations because there are so many!). We have made an attempt to find as much as we could, but it is a work in progress. If you know of any additional testing we are missing, please bring it to our attention (contact us)!
Published Research:
Unpublished Research:
Videos of Testing:
Theory Articles:
Published Research:
- Antonini, Giuseppe, Piazza, Oskar, 2014, Cadere sugli attrezzi: cosa succede? il Soccorso Alpino, April 2014:20-23 (Document in Italian, drop tests with a variety of hardware)
- Cole, John, 1967, How Strong are Brake bars? Speleo Digest 1967:3-20 to 3-22
- Cole, John, 1973, Brake Bar Heating Tests, Speleo Digest 1973:234-235 (Originally published in the Huntsville Grotto Newsletter 14(3):28-30)
- Feldhaus, Bernard, 1991, A Safety Enhancement of the Curled Eye of the Brake Bar Rappel Rack, Nylon Highway 34:21-28
- Garrison, Dave, 1999, A Study of Two Way Stop Rappelling Devices, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 1999 (Petzl ID, SRTE No Worries)
- Gibbs, Mike, 2004, Two-Tensioned Rope Lowers - Centrally Focused Bridle Attachments, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2004 (Racks, tuba, Figure 8's, BMS belay spool, Pro Alp)
- Gibbs, Mike, 2009, Parallel Plaquettes: A lightweight rope rescue system using common climbing equipment, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2009 (range of tube type descent control devices)
- Gilbert, Matt, Slotterbeck, Kevin, Wallace, Garin, 1999, Descender Efficiency, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 1999 (Figure 8's and Racks)
- Goulet, Michel, 2001, Take the Load Off Highlines!, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2001 (Grigri's)
- Hellberg, Florian, Funk, Felix, Schwiersch, Martin, 2013, Auf Die Finger Geschaut, Kletterhallenstudie 2012, Panorama 2013(2):66-69 (Document in German)
- Isenhart, Kyle, 1975, Temperature Studies of Rappelling Devices, Nylon Highway 4:20-23 (Racks, carabiners with breakbars)
- MacGregor, Kirk, 1986, Squeeze Brakes Up To 1982, Nylon Highway 22:1-8, 22-25 (Squeeze Breaks)
- Mauthner, Kirk, Mauthner, Katie, 1999, Boinnnggg!!!! Rescue Belays are not Leader Falls, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 1999
- Mauthner, Kirk, 2016, Dual Capability of Two Tensioned Rope Systems, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium - Link will be updated when the ITRS web page is updated
- Popall, Peter, 2003, A Little Something you Should Know About Carabiners, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2003 (Racks and Figure 8's)
- Semmel, Von Chris, 2002, Die Handbremse, Gangige Sicherungsgerate I'm Vergleich, DAV Panorama 4/2002:61-63
- Simmons, Ron, 1996, Wear of Titanium Brake Bars, Nylon Highway 40:8
- Unknown Author, 1997, Le rupture de fractionnement en cours de descente, Groupe d'Etudes Techniques de l'EFS, Spelunca 66, 4 pages
- Walker, DJ, McCullar, Russell, 2014, Slow Pull Testing of Progress Capture Devices, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2014 (Reprinted in: Walker, DJ, McCullar, Russell, 2014, Slow Pull Testing of Progress Capture Devices, Nylon Highway 59: 16 pages) (CMC MPD, Petzl I'D)
- Wallace, Garin, 2009, High cycle Fatigue Testing, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2009 (Racks)
- Walters, Larry, 2016, Belay Testing on the Petzl I'D and the ASAP, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2016 - Link will be updated when papers posted on the ITRS webpage
Unpublished Research:
- Balance Community, 2012, Brake Slippage Test (Tested the slipping forces of the CT Sparrow, Petzl I'D, Petzl RIG, Edelrid Eddy, Petzl GriGri 1, and Petzl GriGri 2)
- Bedogni, Vittorio, Guastali, Elio, Unknown Date, Le piastrine multifunzionali in montagna
- Bluu, 2015, SQWUREL (Associated with this paper: Unknown Author, 2014, SQWUREL Testing Diary)
- Floyd, Dug, Unknown Date, What Load can One Person Hold with a Lowering Device (Descender) (Whaletail, Figure 8, Racks, Kong Hydrobot, Stitch Plate, Munter Hitch, Pitons and carabiners, Pitstop descender, Petzl I'D, CMC PMD)
- Gibbs, Mike, 2010, Helicopter Rappel - Equipment Testing and Evaluation (Petzl RIG, SMC Spider, Sky Genie, Petzl I'D, Black Diamond ATC Guide, Edelrid Eddy, Petzl Grigri, PMI Powerlock)
- harness man, 2014, CRITR destructive testing
- Kehoe, James, 2010, Science Confirms: Rappel Devices Can Get Very Hot
- Lyon Equipment Limited, 2001, Industrial rope access - Investigation into items of personal protective equipment, Contract Research Report 364/2001
- Pelletier, Benjamin, 2013, Heat dissipation of rappel devices (ATC's and Figure 8's)
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Additional Information: I'D Test Results
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Tests
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Belaying the Leader on Dynamic Rope Using Climbing Techniques
- Powick, Kolin, Unknown Date, Autoblock Misuse
- Powick, Kolin, 2015, Climb Safe: Autoblock Belay Device Misuse
- Powick, Kolin, 2015, Climb Safe: Can A Hot Belay Device Melt My Slings?
- Richard Delaney, 2014, Members: Impact forces during factor one falls (Requires a membership to Ropelab to access)
- Richard Delaney, 2014, Members: Auto lock belay and slip value, Auto locking belay devices: when will the rope slip? (Requires a membership to Ropelab to access)
- Taylor, Mark, Unknown Date, Loads at the anchor after main line failure during rescue
- Titt, Jim, 2009, Belay Device Theory, Testing and Practice (Also posted here)
- Trihey, Lucas, 2006, Vertical Rescue Training Workshop Report: Equipment Testing
- Unknown Author, 2009, Random Rope and System Testing
- Unknown Author, 2013, Heave-Ho! (Pictures and Video of testing)
Videos of Testing:
- Balance Community, 2012, Slack Science - Brake Slippage Test (Video of testing the CT Sparrow, Petzl I'D, Petzl RIG, Edelrid Eddy, Petzl GriGri1 and Petzl GriGri 2)
- CAI Scuola Franco Alletto, 2015, CAI - Centro Studi Materiali e Tecniche (CSMT)
- Canyon Werks LLC, 2014, CRITR rappel device (pat pend) break test
- Gethin Thomas, 2013, Tyrolean in use
- Giovanni Duca, 2012, L'impegno del CAI per la sicurezza. 2006 (CAI- CSMT video Giovanni Duca)
- Giovanni Duca, 2012, Prove Universita di Padova, 2003. CAI -CSMT (Video of a number of belay devices pull tested, including a munter hitch)
- Guenter Karnutsch, 2011, KLETTERSTEIGBREMSEN TEST
- Guglielmo Di Camillo, 2011, Tecnica e Materiali a Padova 2011 - Trazione lenta (Video 1 - Parte 2) (Video shows pull tests of a variety of pieces of equipment and knots)
- Guglielmo Di Camillo, 2011, Tecnica e Materiali a Padova 2011 - Trazione veloce (Video 2o) (Video shows pull tests of variety of pieces of equipment and knots)
- Guglielmo Di Camillo, 2011, Tecnica e Materiali a Padova 2011 - La Torre (Video 3o) (Video shows pull and drop tests of a variety of pieces of equipment and knots, including drop tests on munter hitches)
- Mnmo Npoxoann, 2011, UIAA Mountain Equipment Testing
- monkeybaboon's channel, 2008, drop test (Petzl ID, dynamic rope cows tails, prusik on cord)
- NZcaver, 2007, Destruction testing of hardware at SMC (Slow pull test of rigging plate, a locked off figure 8 slipping, open frame rack bending, and a nylon sheave pulley breaking)
- Richard Delaney, 2014, MPD, ID, Super Munter to lower 600lbs (272kg) (Youtube Video)
- Richard Mumford, 2014, Unicender DrumTempTesting
- slavkavideo, 2011, Испытание СУ Гриша (Krok)
- slavkavideo, 2011, Испытание СУ десантёр «Гриша» Krok 01320 Ф=1
- slavkavideo, 2011, Испытание СУ десантёр «Гриша» Krok 01320 Ф=2
- slavkavideo, 2011, Испытание СУ Гриша на верёвке 8 мм
- slavkavideo, 2011, Испытание СУ Гриша на верёвке 10 мм
- slavkavideo, 2011, Испытание СУ Гриша на верёвке 11 мм
- The ATS Team, 2009, Episode 9: Can a rappel device burn through my rope?
- tterruel, 2008, Test climbing equipment
Theory Articles:
- Attaway, Stephen, 1999, The Mechanics of Friction in Rope Rescue, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 1999 (Also posted here)
- Leuthausser, Ulrich, 2011, Physics of climbing ropes: impact forces, fall factors and rope drag
- Manson, Bob, 2001, A Preliminary Critical Look at Brake Rack Operation and Tying Off
- Moss, Gary, 1978, Friction Capabilities of the Rack, Nylon Highway 8:6-11
- Serafimov, Konstantin, 1991, An Analysis of SRT Descenders, Nylon Highway 32:8-15
- Storrick, Gary, 1978, Design of Specialty Racks, Nylon Highway 9:3-5
- Storrick, Gary, 1989, Vertical Caving Hardware 2: Bobbins, Nylon Highway 28:14-25
- Storage, Bill, 1989, Can We Improve the Bobbin? Nylon Highway 29:23:25
- Stovall, Paul, 2014, Heat Generated in Brake Bar during a Rappel
- Thrun, Bob, Wefer, Fred, 1971, Letter and Reply on Vertical Caving Topics, Speleo Digest 1971:339-342
- Wefer, Fred L., 1968, Rappelling I: An Analytical Approach, Speleo Digest 1968:3-45 to 3-51
- Wefer, Fred L., 1968, Rappelling II: An Analytical Approach, Speleo Digest 1968:3-52 to 3-59