Tensile Strength

The tensile strength is the force required to break a rope. It is determined by testing under laboratory conditions – in straight line pulls with constantly increased loads. These conditions, however, are rarely the case in actual use. In real use, there are many factors that impact the strength of any rope. These include but are not limited to: rope’s age, previous use and care, environmental deterioration (extreme temperatures), abrasion during use, tying a knot. You should never stress a line anywhere close to its breaking strength. Safe working load is generally considered to be no more than 20% of a tensile strength.