The 10 Best Ways to prove that your business does in fact need to upgrade your failing bulk rope

When your business purchases bulk rope, you know as well as we do that it won’t last forever.

We get the question, more often than your construction or landscaping company would think, about when to replace failing bulk rope.

Whether the rope is 1” inch manila, double braid nylon, or twisted polypropylene, you know that eventually your company will have to pay the piper and order a new supply or bulk rope or bulk by the foot.

We’d like to help with this. We’ve created an inspection list that you can follow in order to prove that your business does in fact need to upgrade your failing bulk rope.

Inspect before you retire

There are two important aspects to consider when deciding when to retire your bulk rope.

Those two things are selection and usage.

Let us break this down for you.

First let’s start with selection. Your landscaping business, your construction firm, you pipeline project, and certainly your decorative rope project needs to consider selecting the correct rope in order to avoid the frustration of ordering the wrong stuff.

By the way, if you do order the wrong stuff, be sure and check our convenient return policy by clicking here.

• Select the best rope, for the best application of use. Selecting the best bulk rope involves several factors. Factors like comparing rope specifics, a certain color of bulk rope, or even how a bulk rope feels in your hand. You also need to think about what happens when cutting your bulk rope, diameter, and bulk rope strengths. And you also need to know that bulk rope construction being equal, a larger diameter rope will most certainly last longer than a smaller diameter rope because of the greater chance of wear on the bulk rope.
• Select a bulk rope that has optimal strength. When given a choice between ropes, the obvious choice should be the strongest. For example, a load of 200 lbs represents 2% of the overall strength of a bulk rope, with breaking strength at approximately 10,000 pounds. The same weight represents about 4% of the strength of a rope that has a breaking strength of 5,000 lbs. The weaker rope is having to work harder and as a result you will need to upgrade it sooner.
• Select a bulk rope that has proper elongation. Ropes with lower elongation, under a heavy load, will produce better control, which helps keep complicated construction job sites safe and efficient, for example. Low elongation in bulk ropes should be selected with the highest possible strength, while twisted rope has lower strength, and braided rope has higher strength.
• Select a bulk rope that has proper firmness. Your business needs to select ropes that are firm, and hold their shape during application. You need to avoid soft or mushy ropes which can snag easily, causing strength loss. A loose or soft rope will almost always have a higher risk of breaking than a similar rope that is firm and holds its shape because the fibers are stronger, which eliminates the compromise of durability.
• Select a bulk rope that has solid construction and abrasion. Rope construction is a critical piece when purchasing bulk rope. The proper construction is important when considering upgrading because of normal wear and tear. For example, braided ropes have a round, smooth construction that tends to flatten out somewhat on a bearing surface, especially when distributing weight over a large surface area on the bulk rope. This is different to the crowns of a three-strand or on an eight-strand rope. All ropes should also be protected against sharp surfaces and abrasive exterior, as these surfaces tend to score and gouge chocks and bitts out of the bulk rope, thus damaging the synthetic ropes.

Next let’s talk about usage. Use rope properly. Do not abuse or overload it with insanely heavy weights. If possible, be sure and keep ropes clean and limit abrasion.

• Usage through the proper working loads. Working loads are the weight load that rope is subject to, at a construction site, as an example. Bulk rope should never exceed 20% of the normal load capacity. A point to remember is that a rope may be severely overloaded in use, and break without warning. Let’s not forget how damage and strength loss can occur without any noticeable indication. If you ever happen to overload your bulk rope and it breaks or snaps, or what’s commonly known as ‘shocking’ rope, don’t blame the rope. Your bulk rope was simply overloaded and failed from strength fatigue.
• Usage through proper bending. Any sharp bend in your bulk rope, and you may be asking for a bad accident as the strength decreases substantially. Be sure and know and understand this before bending your bulk rope in unnecessary angles for your specific application.
• Usage through knots. Knots ultimately reduce rope strength. The bulk rope loss in rope strength is a result of the tight bends that occur in your knot. Some knots, in bulk ropes, can cause a 50% loss in rope strength, and it’s vital that the reduction in strength by the use of knots be taken into consideration, when deciding the type, size and strength of a bulk rope in a specific application.
• Usage through proper storage. Keep your ropes as clean and dry as possible and store them in a coil away from heat sources. Plain and simple.
• Usage by not shocking your bulk rope. The concept of ‘shocking’ bulk rope means your rope experiences a sudden change in tension from a state of relaxation. This sudden tension can occur under a heavy weight load, and ultimately cause the rope to snap or break. Be sure and know the proper application for your bulk rope project, so you avoid shocking your rope.

Before you upgrade, go here

Your rope project needs quality rope, so you’re not upgrading and spending money when you shouldn’t have to.

Check out our bulk rope here and learn about how we can help you with your landscaping, construction, decor, or industrial project.