Tension Technology International

Tension Technology International (TTI) is an independent consulting group specialising in flexible tension member systems.

TTI is an independent research, design and development company.  Established in 1986, It has consultants based in the UK, Holland, USA and China. TTI's services include design, engineering and testing of fibres, wire and fibre ropes, chain, cables, umbilicals, fabrics, mooring systems, riser protection nets and subsea tethers.

TTI developed the Optimoor computer model for calculating response of offshore and pierside vessels, mooring line forces and fibre ropes which now has over 200 users worldwide. Fibre Rope Modeller was also developed by TTI and calculates load/extension, torque/twist, breaking load and fatigue of fibre ropes. TTI has designed several offshore synthetic rope systems for 30-year design lives, of which the oldest has seen in excess of 15 successful years’ maintenance-free service.

TTI has brought its extensive fibre rope and mooring design expertise to the benefit of the marine renewables industry including leading a number of industry JIP's in the evolving floating offshore wind and hydrokinetic (tidal, river and wave power) technologies.  Services offered typically cover the range from conceptual design through to detailed engineering of the mooring system and its components.

From its inception, TTI has been involved in near-industry research, including JIPs and single client studies. One of their recent research projects, funded by the Carbon Trust and partners, measured fibre rope axial stiffness and fatigue properties to provide state-of-art property data enabling the correct specification of materials and thus facilitate modelling mooring loads with confidence. TTI has considerable fibre testing experience and has conducted over 200 breaking strength, cyclic load and abrasion tests on many different rope structures and fibre types under that program.

Each of our principals has at least 20 years experience in his field and is an internationally recognized expert. TTI has developed a dedicated facility for the testing of fibre, wire and chain tension systems. Our services include fundamental R&D, and forensic examination of failures. We also offer consultancy in technical textile structures, particularly flexible containers. TTI Testing will always offer innovative proposals on any aspect of materials testing and will design and build new equipment when required.