Rope access ropes – everything you need to know

Welcome back to The Rope Access Channel, my name is Alex and today we will continue with the gear series and we are getting into the different types of rope access ropes we use.

Two types of rope access ropes

In the rope access world we use two types of ropes. We have semi-static and a dynamic rope.
Let’s start with the dynamic rope.

Personal lanyards or Cowstails

On our personal lanyards, or cowstails we use dynamic ropes. How to set those up we will touch on in a different video, but the main thing to know is that there’s some stretch in them. So in case of a small fall you have a little bit of an absorption property in your personal lanyard. Also it’s more comfortable on the body than the ropes we are actually working on. This has to do with the length of the ropes and is something I could get into in another post.

The main rope access ropes

The rope access ropes we are actually working on are semi-static, sometimes even static. However that’s a specified use special occasions scenario. Normally we use EN1891 ropes in our devices, descenders and ascenders. This is semi-static rope that has some elongation but not as much the ropes we are using for our cowstails. They are kernmantle ropes. That means there’s a core inside and a mantle outside protecting the rope. In the Rope Access Ropes video I show a little example of a rope that we cut up. In the video you clearly see that there is a core and a mantle. The core is made out of hundreds of different little threads. The mantle on the outside protecting the core. These two things combined determine the strength, the stretch and the usability of the rope. With usability I mean how easy it is to tie and untie a knot. Of course when the rope gets older it gets more stiff and it’s harder to tie a knot.

Kern and mantle work together

The kern and mantle work together. If the kern and the mantle are not designed properly then they might not slide easily through our descending or friction devices.

Rope access rope EN standard and rope testing

Every time we tie a knot in the rope we actually weaken the rope. How a rope has to be tested is all specified in the . It gets wrapped around a drum multiple times. The diameter of the drum is all specified by the testing standard. Then it gets pulled apart on a testbed.

Difference between testing and tying a knot

But tying a rope is different. When we tie a knot, we actually squeeze the rope on one side and pull the rope on the other side. That is what makes it break most of the times. The rope always breaks in the knot. It never breaks in the middle unless there is an external force applying pressure. For instance an edge or a sharp tool cutting the rope. But when it’s getting pulled on a test bed it always breaks inside the knot.

Rope strength and knots

Now you know a knot weakens the rope. But which not should you use?
There are some people saying that you have to tie a figure of nine knot. They say the rope retains 78 percent of the strength. Or you have to tie a figure of eight because it’s 72 percent. You can NOT use a bowline because it’s only 64 percent.

Now I might be off on the percentages but the moral of the story is that when you tie a knot in the rope, you weaken the rope. With pretty extensive testing I have personally done, I can say that if you take 50 percent then you’re on the safe side. If you take a rope that’s was for six months out at sea, and tie a knot, it’s not as bendable as a new one. The pressure in the knot gets bigger. Therefore, tie you knot, dress your knot and set your knot. Then take 50 percent and you’re always good.

Experts confirming my own findings

Check out HOWNOT2’s excellent video on the subject. Ryan Jenks is a legend for all the work he puts into this.
Also Richard Delaney from the Ropelab is an excellent resource on the subject

In closing

It’s a pretty short video, if you want me to get more in depth in the different types of ropes and the different materials used and why you might want to use a certain rope in a certain situation, please leave a comment and tell me what you would like to see.

If you like this video, please help out leave a like and so you don’t miss any of the videos

I’ll see you in the next one!