JSH
2006-12-22 03:51:55 UTC
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/scene/beta/qc_kp.php#current
Observations
* The "Cat Pee" rope was approximately 95% of the static strength
of a new rope.
* You can see during the first drop tower test that the "Cat Pee"
rope saw higher loads faster. This means that it did not have equal
elastic properties to the brand new rope.
* The "Cat Pee" rope withheld slightly fewer falls in all other
drop tower tests.
Conclusions
It would appear that urine on a rope DOES affect the ultimate strength
and the number of falls held. The extent to which it affects the
properties of a rope and how it would relate to real world climbing
situations is variable, undetermined and ultimately unknown given the
many factors specific to each situation (amount of urine, age of rope
when exposed, how long exposed to urine, type of loading scenario,
etc). It also appears that either the urine alone and/or the washing in
baking soda affected the elastic properties of the rope, making it less
dynamic and causing increased force on the anchor during the drop
tests. Though the results seen here don't necessarily show that urine
on a rope can be catastrophic, it is always ultimately up to the
climber him/herself to make the decision regarding the use of their own
equipment, especially after peculiar and sometimes unknown
circumstances.
A Final Word
Even if the testing here isn't conclusive to show possible
catastrophic circumstances if your rope is exposed to urine-don't
pee on your rope. It's kinda gross.
Be safe,
KP
Kolin Powick (KP) is a Mechanical Engineer hailing from Calgary,
Canada. He has over 15 years of experience in the enginering field and
has been Black Diamond's Quality Assurance Manager since 2002.
Observations
* The "Cat Pee" rope was approximately 95% of the static strength
of a new rope.
* You can see during the first drop tower test that the "Cat Pee"
rope saw higher loads faster. This means that it did not have equal
elastic properties to the brand new rope.
* The "Cat Pee" rope withheld slightly fewer falls in all other
drop tower tests.
Conclusions
It would appear that urine on a rope DOES affect the ultimate strength
and the number of falls held. The extent to which it affects the
properties of a rope and how it would relate to real world climbing
situations is variable, undetermined and ultimately unknown given the
many factors specific to each situation (amount of urine, age of rope
when exposed, how long exposed to urine, type of loading scenario,
etc). It also appears that either the urine alone and/or the washing in
baking soda affected the elastic properties of the rope, making it less
dynamic and causing increased force on the anchor during the drop
tests. Though the results seen here don't necessarily show that urine
on a rope can be catastrophic, it is always ultimately up to the
climber him/herself to make the decision regarding the use of their own
equipment, especially after peculiar and sometimes unknown
circumstances.
A Final Word
Even if the testing here isn't conclusive to show possible
catastrophic circumstances if your rope is exposed to urine-don't
pee on your rope. It's kinda gross.
Be safe,
KP
Kolin Powick (KP) is a Mechanical Engineer hailing from Calgary,
Canada. He has over 15 years of experience in the enginering field and
has been Black Diamond's Quality Assurance Manager since 2002.