Section 7.448. Line structures

(a) Towers, trestles, and monorails. Towers, trestles and monorails shall conform to the following:

(1) Towers. The design of towers shall satisfy the requirements of § 7.427(p) (relating to terminals and stations) and all of the following:

(i) When clearance is not adequate, towers shall be equipped with guards designed to prevent the carriers from swinging into the towers. The provisions of subsection (c) shall also apply.

(ii) When guyed towers are used and guys intersect the ground within or near ski runs, the guys shall be marked for visibility, preferably with boards painted with black and yellow stripes.

(iii) Means shall be provided for ready access from the ground to all tower tops. This requirement is fulfilled if the tower structure is such that it is safe to climb. Otherwise, means such as permanent or light portable ladders shall be provided. The latter shall be in at least sufficient quanity to be available at each point where attendants are stationed.

(iv) Towers shall be grounded by individual grounds, by buried ground wires connecting all towers, or by tying all towers into a suspended ground wire, which may also be used as a ground for the signal system, and is itself grounded. The ground shall satisfy all National and local codes. The local electric power company is a good source of information regarding such requirements.

(v) Towers shall be clearly identified with successive numbers.

(vi) When towers are designed to permit variations in rope height, sheave unit supports shall be guided and attached so as to prevent misalignment by rotation during raising or lowering, as well as during normal operation.

(2) Trestles and monorails. The design of trestles and monorails shall satisfy the requirements of § 7.427(p) (relating to terminals and stations) and any further portions of paragraph (1) relevant to the particular design. Provision shall be made for the expansion and contraction of the actual track or rail. Facilities shall be provided for maintenance and emergency access to the trestle track deck from the ground at intervals not exceeding 800 feet, and to the monorail at any point. Bents shall be clearly identified with successive numbers.

(b) Foundations. Foundations shall comply with the provisions of § 7.428(b) (relating to line structures).

(c) Guards. Towers shall be equipped with devices to prevent the carriages from swinging into the towers. The clearance shall be sufficient to allow the car to swing 10° laterally from the vertical. When this cannot be done without reducing the clearance to less than 18 inches, suitable guards shall be provided. When, on chair lifts, clearance between the chair in normal position and the tower is less than 30 inches, guards shall be provided to keep skis from being caught in the tower structure. Such guards should be at least 48 inches in height, extending 24 inches above and 24 inches below foot level. Clearance shall not be less than 24 inches.

(d) Hauling rope sheaves (or rollers) and mounts. Hauling rope sheaves (or rollers) and mounts shall conform to § 7.428(d)(1)(6). If, under the most adverse loading conditions, the load on a group of support sheaves at a tower may become less than 1/2 the permissible load on one sheave, depression sheaves shall be installed to ascertain that the rope will not lift out of the support sheaves. The reverse requirement shall be applied to depress towers.

(e) Track cable saddles and mounts. Track cable saddles and mounts shall conform to the requirements of § 7.428(e)(1)—(5), except that the rules there relating to cabins shall here apply to carriages. In addition, tower heights and locations shall be so arranged that the track cables will never lift out of their saddles under any operating conditions, including surge.

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 7.441 (relating to definitions); 34 Pa. Code § 7.442 (relating to applicability); 34 Pa. Code § 7.445 (relating to towers); 34 Pa. Code § 7.447 (relating to terminals and stations); and 34 Pa. Code § 7.462 (relating to applicability).