The UIAA Safety Commission is looking for samples of failed climbing anchors to assist in several related matters with the UIAA Climbing Anchor Standard UIAA 123. The Anchor Corrosion project is part of the UIAA’s commitment to continually researching and innovating in order to further develop its international standards for climbing equipment. The UIAA SafeCom team dedicated to the project are studying factors ranging from the impact of temperature and humidity, pollution and chlorides on climbing anchors.
In particular, UIAA SafeCom Commission is looking at:
(1) Environmental degradation revision: with respect to stress corrosion cracking and other types of corrosion: the UIAA SafeCom is working on revising the environmental degradation aspects of the standard for anchors.
The UIAA is always interested in failures to climbing equipment: the UIAA SafeCom requires examples of anchor failures made of stainless steel and would like to learn from them. If you have any samples of failed anchors (either with cracks, and/or corrosion, or even suspected cracks) that have been used either indoors or outdoors, we would be very interested in more information. And ideally to examine them, but even the information that there has been a failure would be helpful. You can supply information via a dedicated form.
(2) Top anchor inclusion in standard: looking to revise this standard to make specific provision for top anchors, including how to test them, and what strength levels they should have. Top anchors are of specific interest because they usually include chains or links with welds or other joints, which could increase the risk of corrosion. UIAA SafeCom would like to see how these have performed in use in order to address these issues in the revision.
Please refer to the UIAA paper on ‘Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking Failure of Climbing Anchors’, produced in late 2015. The document is available in English, French and German.
Further Details:
UIAA Safety Standards
UIAA Safety: Library of Articles for Climbers
