Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1996 - 16

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The Gund Arena in Cleveland, opened in 1995. is
designed to be the home of the Clereland Caraliers
basketball teanl as well as host to a \ride variety of
sports and touring entel1ainment events. Architects
and structural engineers Ellerbe Becket, Inc. took
into account the rigging needs of touring shows
when they engineered the bottom chords of the
main roof trusses, some catwalks, and some spanner beams between the roof trusses specifically to
facilitate rigging show equipment to them. They
even designed access to all of these riggable beanls
and catwalks by elevator and stairs,

THE HORIZONTAL LIFELINE SYSTEM
The fall arrest system in the high steel at the Gund
Arena is based on a series of horizontal lifelines installed seven feet above the riggable steel (the bottom chord of the roof trusses and the box rigging
beams spanning between them), Each of the twelve
horizontal lifelines are constructed of 5/16 inch
7 x stainless steel wire rope and range in continuous length (rom 115 feet to 225 feet, each line supported by (but not connected to) D-ring and hanger
assemblies bolted into vertical steel truss members
about evel)' 35 to 40 feet. An energy-absorbing
mechanism (CableGuard" Energy Absorber) is installed at one anchorage point in each of the horizontal lifelines. In the event of a fall on a lifeline,
tillS device reduces (by up to 30%) tile peak loads
that would otllenvise be communicated to the cable,
anchorages and building structure.
The horizontal lifelines on the longer east-west
roof truss beams are engineered to accept a maximum of three workers per lifeline at anyone time.
The lifelines on tile north-south box rigging beanls
are engineered for only two workers. Riggers wear
OSHA-approved full-body harnesses equipped with
an energy absorbing six foot lanyard attached to the
back hamess dorsal D-ring (DuraLite #850 Full
Body Harnesses and Sofstop L1.I1yard # 90 IRLS.
bOtll (rom Miller Equipment), The Gund Arena
owns all tile harnesses and lanyards. House Rigger
Ruben Turner makes a point of storing the hal'
nesses, with lanyards attached, up at the catwalk!
rigging level because he feels that doing so helps
make the mental association in the riggers' minds
[4

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that tllese specific harnesses and shock absorbing
lanyards are an integral paI1 of the overall fall protection system.
Riggers hook tlleir lanyards onto the horizontal lifelines using a propreitaI)' lifeline attachment
mech:ullsm called a TraIlsfastner. TillS device is designed to roll past the intermediate cable support
assemblies, thus elinllnating the need for riggers to
disconnect and reconnect tlleir laIlyards willie tlley
are out on tile I-beanls. The unit looks like a small
round-cheeked block with all eye at tile bottom for
attacillng a lanyard snaphook (see illustration,
p. I ). Ashoe at tile top of tile TraIlsfastener runs
along the top of the lifeline while a staI'-shaped
wheel rides underneath the lifeline. When an intel'
mediate cable support is encountered, the shoe,
sliding on top of tile wire, goes through the assembly unobstructed, and the stal'wheel below tile wire
rolls over the cable hangers like a tire rolling over

GundArena
Cleveland, Ohio

BOTTOM CORD OF
ROOF TRUSS

225

I
CATWALK

railroad tracks. At one location per lifeline, a special entl)'/exit fitting allows the Transfastener to be
engaged aIld disengaged from the lifeline. (see illustration, p, 16)

DETAIL (RIGHT)

FT--

Typical main
roof truss with
lifeline located 7

USING THE SYSTEM
Riggers take a catwalk to where it intersects the
beam tlley need to walk out onto in order to rig a
motor point. They insert a Transfastener into tile entry/exit fitting in the horizontal lifeline that runs
above their selected beanl aIld hook their laIlyard
into the Transfastener's eye, The rigger then climbs
over the catwalk rail:Uld walks the beam over to the
rigging point. The TraIlsfastener lanyard attachment

RJGGING BOX BEAI>

feet above the
bottom chord of
the truss. A
maximum of
three riggers can
be attached to
the line at once.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1996