What is a Dynamic Load and Why 2,000 to 3,000 Pounds?

Since you are moving, spinning, swinging, and dropping when you are doing aerial acrobatics or aerial dance you are creating a dynamic load (one that is in motion) on the structure supporting you.

Even if you weigh 100 pounds, your body when in motion weighs more depending on what you are doing. Certain drops create more of a shock on your equipment and structure. Certain movements like swinging creates more force on your equipment and structure. Even spinning creates force on your equipment and structure.

Safety is essential you’re in the air doing aerial acrobatics or aerial dance.

For aerial acrobatic rigging, a safety factor of 10 to 1 is the standard. This means that if someone weighed 200 pounds, they would want their equipment and structure to support at least a 2,000 pound load. If they weighed more than 300 pounds, then they would want their equipment and structure to support a 3,000 pound load.

It is a good practice to verify that your structure can support a dynamic load of 2,000 pounds per attachment point, or 3,000 pounds per attachment point. This gives you a safety factor of 10 to 1.

You can check with a structural engineer who can help determine if your structure is the right one to support you. You can also check with an acrobatic rigger when you have questions or need help attaching  your equipment to your structure.

Remember: You would like to verify if your structure can support a dynamic load meaning, you in motion: spinning, swinging, or dropping. And you want a safety factor of 10:1.