prEN 12572-1
(Main)Artificial climbing structures - Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods for ACS with protection points
Artificial climbing structures - Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods for ACS with protection points
This document specifies the safety requirements and test methods for artificial climbing structures with protection points (hereafter referred to as ACS).
This document is applicable for ACS in normal use for sport climbing.
This document is not applicable to ice climbing, dry tooling and playground equipment.
Künstliche Kletteranlagen - Teil 1: Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren für KKA mit Sicherungspunkten
Dieses Dokument legt die sicherheitstechnischen Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren von künstlichen Kletteranlagen mit Sicherungspunkten fest (im Nachfolgenden KKA genannt).
Dieses Dokument gilt für den üblichen Gebrauch der KKA im Bereich des Sportkletterns.
Dieses Dokument gilt nicht für Eisklettern, "Drytooling" (Eisklettern an künstlichen Wänden) und Spielplatzgeräte.
Structures artificielles d’escalade - Partie 1 : Exigences de sécurité et méthodes d’essai relatives aux SAE avec points d’assurage
Le présent document spécifie les exigences de sécurité et méthodes d’essai applicables aux structures artificielles d’escalade avec points d’assurage (ci après appelées SAE).
Le présent document est applicable aux SAE dans le cadre d’une utilisation normale en escalade.
Le présent document ne s’applique pas à l’escalade sur glace, au dry tooling ou aux équipements d’aires de jeux.
Umetne plezalne stene - 1. del: Varnostne zahteve in preskusne metode za umetne plezalne stene z varovalnimi točkami
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2025
Umetne plezalne stene - 1. del: Varnostne zahteve in preskusne metode za umetne
plezalne stene z varovalnimi točkami
Artificial climbing structures - Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods for ACS with
protection points
Künstliche Kletteranlagen - Teil 1: Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen und
Prüfverfahren für KKA mit Sicherungspunkten
Structures artificielles d’escalade - Partie 1 : Exigences de sécurité et méthodes d’essai
relatives aux SAE avec points d’assurage
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12572-1
ICS:
97.220.10 Športni objekti Sports facilities
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
July 2025
ICS 97.220.10 Will supersede EN 12572-1:2017
English Version
Artificial climbing structures - Part 1: Safety requirements
and test methods for ACS with protection points
Structures artificielles d'escalade - Partie 1 : Exigences Künstliche Kletteranlagen - Teil 1:
de sécurité et méthodes d'essai relatives aux SAE avec Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen und
points d'assurage Prüfverfahren für KKA mit Sicherungspunkten
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 136.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 12572-1:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Safety requirements and test methods . 7
4.1 Layout and placement of individual protection points . 7
4.2 Design of individual top protection points . 8
4.2.1 General. 8
4.2.2 Dimensions. 8
4.3 Structural integrity . 9
4.3.1 General. 9
4.3.2 Structural integrity of a protection point connection . 10
4.4 Impact resistance and deflection of surface elements . 10
4.5 Panel insert resistance. 11
4.6 Proof testing . 11
4.7 Falling space . 11
4.8 Free space . 12
4.9 Climbing surfaces . 12
5 Marking . 12
6 Instruction manual . 12
7 Technical documentation of ACS . 12
8 Inspection and maintenance. 13
8.1 General. 13
8.1.1 Instructions . 13
8.1.2 Routine visual inspection . 13
8.1.3 Operational inspection . 13
8.1.4 Main inspection . 13
8.2 Other inspection . 14
Annex A (normative) Effects . 15
Annex B (normative) Method of calculation of structural integrity . 17
Annex C (normative) Load testing of structural integrity of protection point connections . 19
Annex D (normative) Impact test of surface elements . 20
Annex E (normative) Panel insert resistance test . 23
Annex F (normative) Proof testing . 25
Annex G (normative) Inspection and maintenance . 28
Bibliography . 30
European foreword
This document (prEN 12572-1:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 136 “Sports,
playground and other recreational facilities and equipment”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 12572-1:2017.
The EN 12572 series, Artificial climbing structures, consists of the following parts:
— Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods for ACS with protection points
— Part 2: Safety requirements and test methods for bouldering walls
— Part 3: Safety requirements and test methods for climbing holds
EN 12572-1 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to EN 12572-1:2017:
a) added a new Introduction;
b) modified Figure 2a);
c) added technical specifications in 4.2.1 concerning individual top protections;
d) added technical documentation of ACS in Clause 7;
e) added technical specification in the proof test in Clause 7;
f) added Clause 8, Inspection and maintenance;
g) added additional loads per squares meters on the climbing surface in Annex A, A.2.8;
h) modified the Figure F1 in Annex F.
Introduction
It is recognized that safety flooring can have a positive effect on the consequences from a ground fall.
A uniform standard cannot be defined with the current state of knowledge but will be further developed.
1 Scope
This document specifies the safety requirements and test methods for artificial climbing structures with
protection points (hereafter referred to as ACS).
This document is applicable for ACS in normal use for sport climbing.
This document is not applicable to ice climbing, dry tooling and playground equipment.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 1991-1-3, Eurocode 1 - Actions on structures - Part 1-3: Snow loads
EN 1991-1-4, Eurocode 1 - Actions on structures - Part 1-4: General actions - Wind actions
EN 1991-1-5, Eurocode 1 - Actions on structures - Part 1-5: Thermal actions
EN 1998-1-1, Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance - Part 1-1: General rules and
seismic action
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
artificial climbing structure
ACS
sports equipment consisting of a purpose-built climbing structure, which exhibits various construction
characteristics, and is designed for various uses in climbing objectives and is not reserved for a particular
group
3.2
protection point
anchor point on the ACS designed to protect the climber
Note 1 to entry: It can be permanent (cannot be removed with tools, e.g. a glue in anchor) or non-permanent
(removable with tools, e.g. a hanger).
3.3
individual protection point
intermediate protection point used to safeguard a climber in his/her progress on the ACS
3.4
individual top protection point
protection point which is fixed at the top of a climbing line and which is designed to take the impact
produced by falling climber on the protection point
Note 1 to entry: It can be used for top rope or lead climbing.
3.5
autobelay
automatic operated device, usually installed on top of a route and above the user, including a self-
retractable safety line, to which the user is connected, allowing climbing up without slack in the
retractable safety line and in case of loading the retractable safety line by the user, the device lowers the
user automatically speed regulated at a safe speed
Note 1 to entry: The device has a braking system that does not require an intervention for speed regulation by the
user once the descent has commenced.
3.6
collective top protection system
protection system which is fixed at the top of a climbing line and which is designed to take the ropes of
several climbers at once
Note 1 to entry: It can be used for top rope or lead climbing.
3.7
span
part of a collective top rope system measured between two consecutive supports or attachments
Note 1 to entry: See Figure F.2.
3.8
characteristic load
maximum load that can be generated in normal use
3.9
falling space
space around the ACS that can be occupied by the user during a fall
3.10
free space
space around the ground projection of the ACS that can be occupied by a climbing, a lowering, spotting
or belaying user
3.11
hold
removable climbing component used for progression on an ACS or bouldering wall including bigger
three-dimensional, structural attachment without additional panel insert or other means of hold fixation
3.12
volume
removable three-dimensional, structural attachment with means of hold fixation, for example panel
insert or wood screws designed for temporary extension of the climbing surface
3.13
panel insert
point into which a climbing hold is attached
4 Safety requir
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