Highline Backup Fall: Experiment and simulation

Members of the ISA Safety Commission have performed highline backup fall experiments and compared results to the simulator that is available on the ISA website. The results were in a range which justifies recommending the usage of the backup fall simulator.

We organized a series of experiments to test a range of parameters in a backup fall and compare them to the simulator. We were able to conclude that the simulator is accurate enough to be used as a prediction tool: it generally overestimated peak forces in the system in our experiments, and predicted  longer falls. More experiments are necessary on different configurations of lines, in particular longer highlines

The setup of the tests
Calibrating the different force meters with Augustin, he created the backup fall simulator
Preparing the tests
Long work hours for the team, here Augustin and Simon
Comparison of measured and simulated results

Some impressions from the tests:

Thanks so much to the numerous people helping with preparing, sampling, testing and writing up this report! Special thanks to Rafael Thomele for hosting us at Käppeli, Switzerland.

The releasable mainline anchor with an orange
The test area below the bridge in Käppeli Switzerland
The test log below the bridge
Preparing the tests

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