With two slings sharing a single load, increasing the angle from vertical causes the load on each sling to do what?

• A. Increases
• B. Decreases
• C. Stays the same
• D. Varies with angle

Answer: (A)

When two slings share a single load, the weight must be supported by the vertical components of both sling tensions. If the slings form an angle θ with the vertical, the total weight W is balanced by 2 T cosθ, where T is the tension in each sling. So T = W / (2 cosθ). As θ increases, cosθ decreases, which makes T larger. That means the load (tension) on each sling increases with a larger sling angle. This is why keeping slings closer to vertical reduces the stress on each sling and helps maintain lifting capacity.