The side-acting design helps eliminate problems associated with traditional wedge grips that include grip failures, time-consuming grip changes and inaccuracy of total elongation measurements. Clamping forces up to 900 kN (202,300 lbf) were available for positive gripping the wire strand specimen. The wire strand insert arrangement allows for quick changeovers between different specimen diameters. The semi-cylindrical inserts also helps reduce the chances for grip failures while effectively gripping all the wires in the stranded specimen.