According to the news reports today, the circus apparatus and the acrobats weighed 1,500 pounds and where held up by a single steel carabiner rated at 10,000 pounds. They allege the carabiner snapped. I want to see a photo of that. It must have had a fracture, because on a a tensile test machine those things don't just snap, but deform before snapping, and would still supported 1,500 pounds if stretched open, unless it somehow got rigged horizontally by getting tangled in something.
The picture below shows the carabiner, but you have to squint to see it. http://i.cbc.ca/1.2631836.1399248145!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/circus-accident.jpg A 5/8" stainless-steel anchor shackle like the one pictured below has a rated breaking load of 26,000 pounds, and only cost about $ 40 plus tax, and could safely handle 9,750 pounds, and they are readily available in 3 larger sizes. The galvanized versions are stronger than the stainless-steel versions, but are given the same working load rating. http://www.e-rigging.com/assets/images/Drawings/SS_Bolt-Type_Shackle_Drawing.jpg My bet is their D-ring had not been properly cared for, and dropped hard on the concrete. David Locklear --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
