wiredinUSA January 2013

Skiers on the slopes of Vail, Colorado, will ride the world’s fastest

single cable, ten-person gondola. Developers chose ArcelorMittal to

help build a new ski lift with a steel rope capable of withstanding

extreme weather conditions at 8,500 feet.

“ArcelorMittal has sold cables in North America for 20 years with

an outstanding reputation among our customers for quality,” said

Marco Desmarais, sales manager, ArcelorMittal long carbon, North

America. “Our steel cables are known for offering the lowest stretch

in the industry and best return on investments. We have also proved

year after year that we can deliver huge ropes on time, anywhere in

North America.”

The steel cable supporting the new ski lift began its journey near

Lyon, France, at ArcelorMittal Bourg-en-Bresse. Only premium

high-tensile strengthwires were selected tobuild the 20,000 foot cable

according to the customer’s (Leitnerpoma) specifications.

The technical name for the ArcelorMittal cable is: 6*36WSR,

compacted-strand, low-stretch, solid-plastic core design. The minimum

breaking load is 550,782 pound-force. The exact dimensions

are 19,782 feet long by 2.2 inches diameter. The finished cable is

one of the heaviest stranded ropes ever produced for such an

application in North America.

The rope was wrapped around a specially constructed reel for its

transatlantic journey. This reel was 12 feet in diameter by 10 feet

wide, weighing around 172,000lb.

World’s

fastest single

cable gondola