What is a disadvantage to a directional load?

What is a disadvantage to a directional load?

• A. Reduces rope friction
• B. Could cause the force to become greater on the anchor
• C. Increases speed of the load
• D. Improves anchor life

Answer: (B)

When you direct a load through an anchor, the anchor has to resist the combined pull from all rope segments attached to it. The forces from each leg add up as a vector, so the anchor can end up bearing more than the individual rope tension. In a two-leg redirect, the force on the anchor can be close to twice the rope tension when the legs are aligned, meaning the anchor strength has to handle a larger load than you might expect. That increased load on the anchor is the main drawback of a directional load. The other options don’t describe this effect: friction isn’t automatically reduced, speed isn’t directly increased by directing the load, and anchor life isn’t improved by the directional setup.

When you direct a load through an anchor, the anchor has to resist the combined pull from all rope segments attached to it. The forces from each leg add up as a vector, so the anchor can end up bearing more than the individual rope tension. In a two-leg redirect, the force on the anchor can be close to twice the rope tension when the legs are aligned, meaning the anchor strength has to handle a larger load than you might expect. That increased load on the anchor is the main drawback of a directional load. The other options don’t describe this effect: friction isn’t automatically reduced, speed isn’t directly increased by directing the load, and anchor life isn’t improved by the directional setup.