ANALYSIS OF THE BUNGEE JUMPING EQUIPMENT AT SUNRISE RESORT, JAIPUR

The bungee jumping equipment installed at the Sunrise resort, Jaipur. Is basically to entertain the customers willing to swing at a height predetermined as per the manufacturers design. The wire ropes are attached to the Electric motor which enables to swing alternately, vertically up and down. The swing as a result is subjected to alternate tension and compression on the supports which are made of Al alloy tubular pipes with joined by Plated M.S tubes tightened with Proper Screws at two junctions. The pipes are then radially tightened with wire ropes to the base plates fixed on the ground. These wire ropes are subjected to stresses distributed uniformly while in operation. The tubular structure is therefore subjected to alternate bending thereby causing alternate tension and compression on the circumference of the pipes. The stresses thus introduced are evenly distributed via the M.S pipe joints and the wire ropes firmly fixed on to the base plate. The failure if any or the high stresses subjected to the equipment should normally occur at the top of the pipes (A) or at the MS Joints (B) or at the ropes junction (C).

The schematic fig above shows the stress joints (A), (B) and (C). The maintenance manual of the manufacturer suggests maintenance is required only on these joints. The Bungee has failed abruptly while carrying out operations with a normal load (well within the specified load) at a point X about Two feet above the MS Joint. The failure at the junction thus can only be attributed to the following probabilities: 1. The pipe is of Al/ Al alloy (Al-Si/ Al-Si-Mg), extruded. The extrusion pipes encounter problems of thickness due to precipitation/ non metallic impurities present in the alloys. 2. The pipes therefore encounter stress concentration at the sites of variable thickness.

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3. The pipes are of Al/Al based alloys which are highly ductile and due to stress concentration material flow takes place and fail by bending and not by fracture, as in the present case. 4. The failure junction is neither a joint nor a corner, and, hence does not require any maintenance. Furthermore, fatigue failure is abrupt and without warning and hence the failure can only be attributed to the material.