Which term describes the ratio of the tensile strength of the webbing material to the tensile strength of the finished web sling?

• A. Safety factor
• B. L/H ratio
• C. Derating
• D. Fabrication efficiency

Answer: (D)

Fabrication efficiency is about how much strength the finished sling retains from the raw webbing. It’s the ratio of the webbing’s tensile strength before fabrication to the finished sling’s tensile strength after fabrication. If the finished product loses some strength during sewing, stitching, or attaching hardware, this ratio will be greater than one, indicating a drop in strength through fabrication. A ratio of one means no loss, while a higher ratio means more strength was lost in producing the sling. This concept is different from safety factor (which compares breaking strength to working load), derating (reducing ratings under certain conditions), or other terms that don’t describe the material-to-finished-product strength relationship.