Rope for safety driving

Roads with no safety measures are prone to accidents that might cause fatal blows to those driving. Road safety products are vital to put-off the accidents that can wrap oneself in the lap of death. With the fast-changing technologies, we are seeing some innovative and high quality Armco products that have been designed to dole out fun and a sense of security while driving on busy roads, especially on highways.

The products that are enormously bringing safety and security on roads include guardrail (Armco), wire rope safety barrier, crash cushions and guardrail terminal. Some other road safety products viz. steel buffas, workzone barriers, pedestrian fencing and motorcyclist barriers also bring effect of safety on roads. These road safety products are put to roads after getting through rigorous crash testing to fetch optimum desired results. These testing make sure that the users get well-equipped by way of the highest standard of safety barrier systems on road. Besides being put to be used on various road ways, the Armco products are also extensively employed in the world standard sports racing events.

The Formula one race is held on the track with the ideal Armco products to stave-off dangers that might come to haunt the participants and spectators. Guardrail also features among the road safety products and produced with the top-quality steel and other materials. Guardrail boasts of extremely high resistance to impact and puts off hazardous pocketing. At the same time, their use lessens the ride down acceleration sensed by the vehicle and its users.

The Armco products contribute heavily to accident free roads as guardrail leads the pack with a bang. Guardrail sports high visibility that brings added confidence to the driver driving with speed. At night or while driving under smoggy conditions with reducing lights of surroundings, the first-rate visibility of guardrail brings forth essence of safe travel in a true way and lessens dangerous centre line crowding.

Armco products are specifically designed to put drivers amid the safest possible condition. Guardrail goes one step ahead in doing so and brings the maximum road safety with the help of the perfect designing. Guardrail acts amazingly well by reducing wheel snagging and the far-reaching effects of vaulting or rollover. The perfect designing of guardrail makes them the most fitting option for raised medians and gutters. Thus, we see that Armco saves life from getting stuck into any unwanted happenings on the roads.

With technology extending its help to avert the unfortunate, it is only wise to go for the appropriate road safety products on our roads and gain sense of security with speed.

Safety First With Lifting Slings

Personnel safety is priority one when it comes to lifting and moving heavy equipment and parts. OSHA reports that, "slings are the most commonly used materials handling apparatus," and "the mishandling of materials is the single largest cause of accidents and injuries in the workplace." [1] Whenever heavy lifting takes place, precautions must be taken to avoid the risk of accidents. Nylon, chain and wire rope slings are the most common slings, and a basic understanding of their qualities, techniques and common uses will help prevent accidents or injuries.

Nylon Sling Qualities

Nylon slings provide great strength combined with elasticity. Under a heavy load, nylon slings will absorb shock and return to their original shape after release. This combination of stretch and strength is beneficial for repeated lifting situations and tie-downs.

Should your job involve moisture or chemical exposure (alkalis not acids), nylon will not rot or deteriorate, even under repeated contact or long-term storage. Being impervious to UV light, nylon slings are safely used indoors or outdoors, in rain or shine and can withstand temperatures up to 180°F. [2]

Other benefits of nylon slings are their light weight and smooth surface. Rigging situations themselves may involve heavy and cumbersome preparation. The light weight of nylon slings make adjustments, transportation and storage of rigging equipment a simple. Certain loads may be scratched or damaged by chain or wire slings, but nylon slings have no undesired effects on the load itself. The flexibility of nylon gives these slings many advantages over chains or wires which are rigid and may kink when bent at sharp angles.

Extra features are built into the nylon slings themselves for enhanced safety and performance. As the nylon sling wears over time, red indicator yarns at the core of the sling will warn the user of any cuts or damage. Chemical compounds are also infused into these slings to seal out dirt and foreign particles enhancing the sling's grip. Any signs of scorching, cuts or wear should caution the user of potential dangers.

Chain Slings

Chain slings are made of an alloy steel and provide a powerful lifting option. Unlike nylon slings, chain slings have no shock absorbancy and can snap. These slings should be inspected for nicks, gouges, stretching or other signs of wear before being used. [3] Different metal endings can be fixed to chain slings allowing for a variety of hitching options. Because of the rough metallic surface, chain slings should not be used for basket or choker hitches with a delicate or aesthetic load. Any situation which might cause abrasion or crush the sling itself should be prevented as this may compromise the integrity of the sling.

The properties in a chain sling allow it to lift loads of 1000° F or repeatedly lift loads of 600° F according to manufacturers specifications. [4] Chain slings are also impervious to any UV damage making it safe to consistently use in the outdoors.

Wire Rope Slings

Wire rope slings are made from twisting wire fibers over a core of fiber (flexible but susceptible to damage) or wire (less flexible but resistant to damage). Because of the intricate nature of these slings, they are susceptible to fatigue from repeated bending, abrasion or abuse. Any fraying, cuts, or unwinding should be recognized as signs of this fatigue. Wire rope slings should not be exposed to moist working conditions as they may rust and corrode. During storage these slings should be kept in ventilated areas and off of the floor. Wire rope slings are lubricated when manufactured but should also be lubricated at the worksite. The frequency and thoroughness of lubrication varies and depends upon the weight of the load and bending imposed on the sling. OSHA advises that less flexible ropes, such as wire rope, should be used when a load needs to be "moved through or over abrasive materials." [5]

Sling Hitches

Heavy lifting situations rely primarily upon the quality of the sling material itself. Even with a superior nylon sling, poor sling techniques can cause damage to the loads or cause accidents. Because of the various demands of rigging situations, different hitching and lifting techniques have been developed.

The vertical hitch is the simplest lifting technique. What tow-lines are to pulling, vertical hitches are to lifting. Vertical hitches may use any of the endless, eye and eye, or triangle endings. One end of the line is attached to the load via hook or link and the other end is attached to the lifting rig (e.g. crane). In this simple rigging, the one vertical line bears the entire weight of the load making the strength of the line an important factor.

Bridal hitches are formed with two to four separate lines. While it should never be assumed, this option allows for even distribution of weight and strength with careful analysis and application. The angle of the sling in respect to its load becomes important with any non-vertical rig. Because "the load stress on each leg increases as the angle

decreases," [6] rigging lines should rarely dive below 30°. At this angle each line will bear the full weight of the load itself. Any non-vertical hitch should at least maintain a 45° angle.

Basket hitches are a single continuous sling which is wrapped around a load. This option requires attention to the angles of the line. As with other hitches, sling strength is the greatest when at a 90° angle and has decreasing strength with a decreasing angle. To provide greater stability, two slings can be used to form a double basket hitch. Double basket hitches should be kept at angles greater than 60° to prevent slippage. When security of the load is needed, the sling(s) can be wrapped around the object(s) twice.

A choker hitch is made by wrapping the sling around the load and re-attaching the end of the sling to the line itself. This hitch allows for multiple slings for stability and/or double wrapping for security. This hitch is commonly applied with cranes and allows for a single weight-bearing line. As with other hitches, twist in the line can cause the load to rotate. Nylon slings with certain endings can prevent this potential hazard.

The use of slings is not restricted to lifting heavy loads. Many jobs require objects to be securely tied down and slings provide excellent tie-down abilities. Nylon and chain slings are commonly used to tie down loads on trucks, boats and pallets. When fixed with a ratchet, the tightness of the nylon sling can be adjusted to provide heightened security. The environmental endurance, inherent strength, smooth surface and elastic properties make nylon slings the preferred choice not only for heavy lifting, but also for tie-downs. Chain slings provide a strong option that will not stretch when strained and that is also resistant to UV light and moisture.

Remember, equipment and parts can be replaced, workers cannot. Always err on the side of caution!

Structural steel detailing

Simply put, structural steel detailing involves the creation of detailed drawings for steel fabricators and erectors, including estimates, plans, drawings, reports and other essential documents for the manufacture and erection of steel members. It includes a variety of steel members like steel beams, trusses, columns, braces, joists, metal decking, handrails and even stairs. The list goes on.

As it is, structural steel detailing is very important in a wide range of manufacturing and construction businesses like naval and marine, shipbuilding, plants, building construction and other similar structures. Anything that is big enough to require structural steel will also require detailing work. Further, it combines the inputs of different professionals like engineers, contractors, and fabricators. Because detailers are not the ones responsible for the integrity or design of steel members, structural engineers as well as architects would have to review any detailing work before it is release.

Structural steel detailing usually belongs under two types of drawings: shop drawings and erection drawings. Erection drawings help show its users the correct way and site of placing fabricated steel members. These often include detailed information and specifications on all processes involved like bolting, welding or putting in wedge anchors.

Shop drawings, on the other hand, are utilized to pinpoint the requirements for fabricating each steel member and are primarily used by steel fabricators to make these members. Detailing work shows specifications, required materials, dimensions, sizes and other relevant information.

Structural steel detailing needs to be accurate and correct. It has to comply with protocols and standards made by various institutions like the American Institute of Steel Construction. More often than not, it is created with computers, using computer aided design or drafting applications like AutoCAD. Nowadays, you can also use 3D modeling on these drawings.

Structural steel detailing is one very complex but very important process. A detailer should have all the skills necessary to create the drawings, from logic, to drafting, to geometry, to reasoning, to visualization, as well as great communication skills to pull it off on time and with great accuracy. You would also need general engineering knowledge as well as working knowledge on steel fabrication. In the United States, most detailers are self taught, or have only a general certification program that touches on CAD operation. There are also only a handful of colleges that offer degree programs in the discipline of structural steel detailing. Because of these, it is very difficult to maintain a productive and inexpensive staff that can handle detailing work around the clock. There are, however, a lot of companies that offer expert structural steel detailing work that are both inexpensive and reliable.

Wirerope history

History and materials

Modern wire rope was invented by the German mining engineer Wilhelm Albert in the years between 1831 and 1834 for use in mining in the Harz Mountains in Clausthal, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was quickly accepted because it proved superior to ropes made of hemp or to metal chains, such as had been used before.

Wilhelm Albert's first ropes consisted of wires twisted about a hemp rope core, six such strands then being twisted around another hemp rope core in alternating directions for extra stability. Earlier forms of wire rope had been made by covering a bundle of wires with hemp.

In America wire rope was later manufactured by John A. Roebling, forming the basis for his success in suspension bridge building. Roebling introduced a number of innovations in the design, materials and manufacture of wire rope.

Manufacturing a wire rope is similar to making one from natural fibres. The individual wires are first twisted into a strand, then six or so such strands again twisted around a core. This core may consist of steel, but also of natural fibres such as sisal, manila, henequen, jute, or hemp. This is used to cushion off stress forces when bending the rope.

This flexibility is particularly vital in ropes used in machinery such as cranes or elevators as well as ropes used in transportation modes such as cable cars, cable railways, funiculars and aerial lifts. It is not quite so essential in suspension bridges and similar uses.

Wire rope is often sold with vinyl and nylon coatings. This increases weather resistance and overall durability, however it can lead to weak joints if the coating is not removed correctly underneath joints and connections.

Various steel wire

Low Carbon Steel Wire

Everbright Industrial Wire Manufactory can supply steel wire of high carbon, medium carbon and low carbon to meet the different application requirements. Finishes: Carbon steel wire can be electro galvanized or hot-dipped zinc coated into galvanized wire, or to be annealed into soft annealed wire. Supply forms can be coiled, spooled and cut wire. Applications: For weaving of meshes, making of nails and ropes, also binding in construction. Galvanized Steel Wire General Introduction: Galvanized steel wire is made of carbon steel zinc plated. The zinc coating offers corrosion resistance, allowing vary varied use for weaving of galvanized wire mesh, galvanized hardware cloth, welded iron wire mesh, chicken netting, etc. Application: Galvanized steel wire with hot-dipped zinc coating is used in the following fields: Spring Steel Wire General Introduction: Spring steel wires can be oil hardened and tampered spring steel wire, bright spring steel wire and carbon spring steel wires. Wire Materials: Steel 65MN, 60Si2MnA, 55CrSi, 50CrV, T2B. Wire Diameter: 4.0 - 17.0mm. Application: For car suspending spring, motorcycle vibration reducing spring, engine door spring and high strength, high flexibility and high weary life spring.

Crude steel hit the roof

China Iron and Steel Association showed daily production was running at an all time peak of 1.67 million tonnes in the first 10 days of the month.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the figure is nearly 10% higher than CISA's figure for daily production in early July and 2% higher than the daily average for all of July when output reached a record 50.68 million tonnes.

If the same rate continues throughout August, the full month could show steel output of 52 million tonnes in August up by 22% from a year before

The early August figure equates to an annualized production rate of nearly 610 million tonnes, more than 20% above actual production of 500 million tonnes in 2008.

Mr Henry Liu Shanghai based Macquarie Bank analyst said "August crude steel output will surely hit a record, but the production rate could retreat a little in middle and late August because of slipping steel prices. But other analysts see continued high production rates at China's blast furnaces. That could help revive iron ore prices, which fell after benchmark spot steel prices plunged in the last two weeks having hit a 10 month high in early August.”

Mr Hu Kai analyst at Umetal a consultancy said "Iron ore prices could rebound from the recent correction in September. Major steel mills have set up high prices for September and there are no signs of a production slowdown, so demand is always there."