Instrumenting a cablecar on the Zugspitze to quantify loads during emergency-brake testing

A new cablecar system was built in order to transport skiers faster to ski lifts on the glacier plateau at the top of the Zugspitze-West Germany's highest mountain.

A new cablecar system was built in order to transport skiers faster to ski lifts on the glacier plateau at the top of the Zugspitze-West Germany's highest mountain.

The task of the Bavarian Technical Inspection Association was to verify by actual measurement theoretical methods employed in the design of the system and at the same time to determine whether the speed of 5 m/s (984 ft/min) desired by the operator could be approved under prevailing safety regulations. During the course of verification testing, a fully laden car was halted abruptly at predetermined points on the track cables and the resulting force, acceleration, and deflection were measured.