Each point in a symmetrical rigging arrangement of four or more points is considered to be supporting one-fourth of the load weight.

• A. One-fourth of the load
• B. One-half of the load
• C. One-third of the load
• D. One-fifth of the load

Answer: (A)

In a symmetric four-point rig, the load is shared equally among the four load paths. Because the setup is balanced, the tension in each leg is the same, and the total weight W equals the sum of the four leg tensions: W = T1 + T2 + T3 + T4. With symmetry, T1 = T2 = T3 = T4, so each one carries W/4, or one-quarter of the load. If you had only two points, each would carry one-half; with three, one-third; and with five or more points, each would carry a smaller share only if the geometry distributes the load evenly. In this standard four-point, symmetrical arrangement, the per-point load being one-fourth is the appropriate, simplest way to represent the distribution.