What are spansets (round slings) and steels (wire rope slings)?

Spansets (a brand name commonly used generically) are round slings made from a loop of polyester filaments enclosed in a protective polyester tube. They're wrapped around truss chords to create a soft, non-damaging connection point. Spansets are the standard attachment between truss and the motor's hook or shackle because they grip without crushing the aluminum tubing.

Recently Gacflex has replaced nylon spansets as a best practice for wrapping truss. Gacflex has very small wire rope wrapped in a loop and contained within a nylon sheath. Gacflex is generally considered fire proof and therefore a safer option than typical nylon spansets. Though spansets still shine when a pick on cable is required as the nylon acts an insulator, should the electricity get out of the cables.

Steel wire rope (wire rope slings, also called GAC for galvanized aircraft cable) are lengths of heavy steel cable with flemished eyes at each end. They come in standard lengths (5, 10, 20, 30, 50 feet) and are generally used to attach motors to the building structure. Both spansets and steel wire rope have rated WLLs that are reduced when used in certain configurations (a choke hitch reduces a spanset's WLL by an increasing amount directly proportional to the angle of the choke).