Fall Factors
Below is a series of links to all the publically available research on fall factors 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Unpublished Research: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 Papers:
Published Research:
- Bedogni, Vittorio, Manes, Andrea, 2011, A constitutive equation for the behavior of a mountaineering rope under stretching during a climber's fall, Procedia Engineering 10:3353-3358
- Bett, Joe, 2013, Analysis of Rock Climbing Falls with Different Rope Paths, Technical Paper, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
- Beverly, Marc, Attaway, Stephen, 2005, Hang 'E, High: How Far Can You Trust Your Belay Device? Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2005 (Reprinted in: Beverly, Marc, Attaway, Stephen, 2006. Hang 'Em High: How Far Can You trust Your Belay Device, Nylon Highway 51:21 pages) (Also posted on the Mountain Rescue Association grant archive page here)(Cinch, Jaws, Shunt, Matrix, Tibloc, Ascender, Grigri, Reverso, Pro Traxion, Ropeman, ATC)
- Detter, Andreas, Cowell, Chris, McKeown, Liam, Howard, Paul, 2008, Evaluation of current rigging and dismantling practices used in arboriculture, Health and Safety Executive, Research Report, RR668
- Horn, Gavin, Timmons, Ernest, Kurath, Peter, 2007, Escape Rope Performance: Working At Elevated Temperatures and Under Dynamic Loads, Fire Engineering 160(7):99-105
- Horn, G., Kurath, P., 2010, Failure of figefighter escape rope under dynamic loading and elevated temperatures, Dynamic Behaviour of Materials, Volume 1, Part of the series Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, pp. 353-359
- Kovach, Jim, 2009, Fall Factors: Do They Apply to Rope Rescue and Rope Access? Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2009 (Reprinted in: Kovach, Jim, 2009, Fall Factors: Do They Apply to Rope Rescue and Rope Access? Nylon Highway 54:9 pages)
- Martin, Daniel, A., Boron, Kevin, Osbstalecki, Kurath, Peter, Horn, Gavin P., 2015, Feasibility of Knots to Reduce the Maximum Dynamic Arresting Load in Rope Systems, Journal of Dynamic Behavior of Materials 1:214-224
- Obstalecki, M., Chaussidon, J., Kurath, P., Horn, G.P., 2011, Prediction of Dynamic Forces in Fire Service Escape Scenarios, Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series 99, Dynamic Behavior of Materials, Volume 1:179-186
- Pavier, M., 1998, Experimental and theoretical simulations of climbing falls, Sports Engineering 1:79-91
- Vogwell, J., Minguez, Jose, 2007, The safety of rock climbing protection devices under falling loads, Engineering Failure Analysis 14(6):1114-1123 (Abstract only)
- Weber, Chuck, 2001, Fall Factors & Life Safety Ropes: a closer look, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2001 (Reprinted in: Weber, Chuck, 2002, Fall Factors & Life Safety Ropes: a closer look, Nylon Highway 47: 11 pages)
- Weber, Chuck, 2002, Analysis of Impact Force Equations, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2002
Unpublished Research:
- 20 kN, 2012, Top rope fall analysis w/strain gauge analyzer (Paper describing some quick measurements of forces on anchors during a top rope fall)
- 20 kN, 2015, Quick Field Analysis: How Much Force Does a Top Rope Fall Produce? (Paper describing the forces on the anchor during climbing falls)
- Bett, Joe, 2013, Analysis of Rock Climbing Falls with Different Rope Paths, Technical Paper
- Beverly, Marc, Attaway, Stephen, Unknown Date, Measurement of Dynamic Rope System Stiffness in Sequential Failure for Lead Climbing Falls, Mountain Rescue Association Grant Research Archive
- Bigelmayr, Max, 2013, Climbing Ropes: Stretch and Fall Tests
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Forces at Work in a Real Fall
- Weber, Chuck, 1999, What Heavy climbers need to know. (Also posted here)
Videos of Testing:
- Cai Macerata, 2012, Torre di Padova Prova di caduta dall'alto 01
- CAI Scuola Franco Alletto, 2015, CAI - Centro Studi Materiali e Tecniche (CSMT)
- 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)
- Nicola Bertolani, 2009, Torre Padova - volo con assicurazione ventral corretta (Video of a person dropping on a rope)
- Nicola Bertolani, 2009, Torre Padova - Volo con sollevamento dell'assicuratore (Video of a person dropping on a rope)
- Richard Delaney, 2014, 75kg factor 1 drop tests
- Richard Delaney, 2016, Comparitive drops: Steel, Manikin, Human: Fall Factor 0.5
- The More You Know, 2015, Top Rope Fall Forces (video showing simulated climber falls)
Theory Papers:
- Attaway, Stephen, 1997, Rope System Analysis, Nylon Highway 42:19-31 (also posted here and here)
- Goldstone, Richard, 2006, Date, The Standard Equation for Impact Force
- Kovach, Jim, 2009, Fall Factors: Do They Apply o Rope Rescue and Rope Access? Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2009
- Leuthausser, Ulrich, 2012, Viscoelastic Theory of Climbing Ropes
- Storage, William, Ganter, John, 2000, Physics for Cavers: Ropes, Loads, and Energy
- Unknown Author, 2005, The Physics of Falling