Design and Deployment Parameters Affecting the Survivability of Stranded Aramid Fiber Ropes in the Marine Environment

This paper presents results from a series of ocean deployments designed to assess the impact of several variables on the strength retention of large diameter stranded high strength aramid fiber ropes used as low tension buoy mooring lines, a severe exposure for ropes since they can be thrashed about in the ocean essentially unconstrained. Nominal 100 ton break strength ropes were deployed for 13 weeks in both surface and subsurface buoy configurations using four constructional variants and several jacketing concepts. The results confirmed a degradation mechanism hypothesized for a previous mooring line and showed that good durability can be expected through use of preferred constructions, fiber compliance and attention to splicing and rejacketing over splices. Basic data are provided and guidelines established to achieve longevity in this use.