Public Dyneema failure

It will be interesting if we ever hear what was the cause of the failure of the Dyneema rope failure at the NASCAR race in Charlotte on Sunday. Apparently the rope that drives suspended TV camera across the track was Dyneema. It failed somehow, dropping into the stands, over the fence, and across the track, injuring fans and damaging several race cars.

From Jayski.com:

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The rope is made of Dyneema, an ultra-strong synthetic that has the same approximate strength of a steel wire with the same diameter, and is less than a year old. According to the company, it had been factory-tested by the manufacturer and its breaking strength is certified before shipment. It was also inspected by CAMCAT upon receipt last June. The rope was certified to have a breaking strength of over 9,300 pounds. The force exerted during last night's race was less than 900 pounds. FOX Sports is reviewing with CAMCAT equipment maintenance records, history and installation information and will share those findings with NASCAR and CMS.
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Dyneema is the strongest and lightest rope available but, like any rope, it's not invulnerable to abuse. http://rdd.me/cgsl7qmq

Almost certainly, if the rope itself failed, it was damaged or abused it in some way - most likely by the user. Failing anchor points or splices could also be the cause.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 9:39:46 PM UTC-6, Tony wrote:
It will be interesting if we ever hear what was the cause of the failure of the Dyneema rope failure at the NASCAR race in Charlotte on Sunday. Apparently the rope that drives suspended TV camera across the track was Dyneema. It failed somehow, dropping into the stands, over the fence, and across the track, injuring fans and damaging several race cars.



From Jayski.com:



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The rope is made of Dyneema, an ultra-strong synthetic that has the same approximate strength of a steel wire with the same diameter, and is less than a year old. According to the company, it had been factory-tested by the manufacturer and its breaking strength is certified before shipment. It was also inspected by CAMCAT upon receipt last June. The rope was certified to have a breaking strength of over 9,300 pounds. The force exerted during last night's race was less than 900 pounds. FOX Sports is reviewing with CAMCAT equipment maintenance records, history and installation information and will share those findings with NASCAR and CMS.

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