One of Tennessee's Longest High Line's Ever Constructed.

On July 4, 2007, the Knoxville Emergency Rescue Squad's (KVERS) Cave/Vertical Team constructed a tensioned diagonal highline. The components of the system are composed of the main tensioned line (Track Line), the line from top and bottom to control the movement of the load (Control or Traverse Lines), the traversing pulley system or (Trolley) that carries the load under the track line. The track line spanned some 700' from the top of the Sun Sphere to the back of a KVERS vehicle (Suburban). The Sun Sphere stands 266 ft, the track line redirected through a tripod placing it another 6 ft or so above the sphere. The Suburban was located over 600 ft from the base of the structure. The KVERS Cave and Vertical team maintains an optimal safety margin of 10:1. This system met this criteria with the ability to safely traverse up to a 600 lb load from top to bottom. All the software components of the track line were rigged to 18,000 lb of tensile strength. Also using a captured top and bottom control line serving as a back up system in the event of track line failure. The lower anchorage was a 3/4 ton Suburban chocked and back tied to a healthy 12" diameter oak tree. The track line anchored to the trailer hitch and was backed up to the rear axle. The track line was tensioned with a redirected 5:1 mechanical advantage. A 10,000 lb dynameter was placed inline and backed up on the main anchor. The dynameter gave us the ability to see the load on the track line and allow for maximum performance from the system with no question of over loading. The top anchorage redirected through an Air Shore brand tripod. The tripod was pinned and locked at about 10 ft elevation, Air Shore rates the tool at a SWL of 14,000 lb @ 2:1 safety margin. The change of direction (COD) was approx. 100 degree magnifying the load by about 20 to 30% at the tripod. The main anchorage was a structural steel I beam through a scuttle hatch in the roof of the sphere. To the best of our knowledge this was the longest highline built Tennessee.
 

Many thanks to Dane Bradshaw who is a former UT Volunteer and college basketball star and now a published author.  Dane was the passenger for our high line demonstration.  Also thanks to the City of Knoxville for asking KVERS to come out and show what we can do!!!.