Horizontal lifelines - review of regulations and simple design method considering anchorage rigidity.

The objective of this paper is to propose a simple analytical design method for horizontal lifelines (HLL) that considers anchorage flexibility. This paper presents a short review of the standards and regulations/acts/codes concerning HLLs in Canada, the USA and Europe. A static analytical approach is proposed, considering anchorage flexibility. The analytical results are compared to a series of 42 dynamic fall tests and a SAP2000 numerical model. The experimental results show that the analytical method is a bit conservative and overestimates the line tension in most cases, with a maximum of 17%. The static SAP2000 results show a maximum 2.1% difference with the analytical method. The analytical method is accurate enough to safely design HLLs and quick design abaci are provided to allow the engineer to make quick on-site verification if needed. PMID: 28278004 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics - Category: Occupational Health Tags: Int J Occup Saf Ergon Source Type: research