Scaffold towers, approval of...

[Elliot]

Lots of camps use construction scaffolding as temporary structures for various purposes. I'll be joining that club this year, and this will be in a Theme Camp. If memory serves, the Theme Camp application says something about tower safety (if applicable). Anybody have experience with BMOrg standards for scaffold towers? These are 5' x 10' in 5 foot tall sections.
The platform will probably be at the 15 foot level. We do NOT plan to have crowds up there -- just two peeps at the time.
I plan to brace them pretty darn well to my bus, but anything I can learn may be helpful.

[Dustdevil]

In 2009 our scaffolding was 30' tall and the base was 10' by 10'. It was attached to our shade structure which was 10' by 20' made from aluminum truss sections. We had no signs or material on the scaffolding so it would not create excessive side force in high wind conditions. For next year we are going to extend the height to 40'. One of our camp mates installs these for a living. He says the base of the scaffolding will need to be 10' by 20' with that height. Our tower never moved in the wind. On top of the tower we attached a very large blue strobe light on top of a 25' flag pole. We also placed 30 smaller strobes on the support legs. We were on A street and the view of the City was spectacular. The only unexpected occurances were the couples who "utilized" the upper deck for more than observing the City. Next year we may put a few blankets on the top level.
I believe the application just wants to make certain you are going to anchor the structure in some fashion. At a height of 15' I don't think you should have too much trouble with the wind.

[TomServo]

A Hangman's noose is an easy knot to learn. Make a lowercase E at one end of the rope. Leave about a foot and a half or two, of rope end. Wrap the short end around the inner curve, creating a loop. Continue wrapping the short end, until 9 or 11 "knots" are formed. Take the short end, and put through the remaining loop. Pull on either rope of the first loop, until it tightens the noose. Placing the noose just behind either ear, but NOT directly behind the head, should ensure a good neck break.

Keep in mind the participants weight, when adjusting the drop. Too heavy and/or too far, may decapitate them.

[oneeyeddick]

A proper hangman's noose alway has 13 "knots" around the loop.

Just sayin'......

[TomServo]

A proper hangman's noose alway has 13 "knots" around the loop.

Just sayin'......

I thought the hangman was hung with his own noose if he put 13 knots in it...

And to my original post...you start the loops towards the end..NOT the inner curve. My bad..

I learned this in texas history...and it may or may not be true, but the number of knots in your noose depended on your race.

YAY TEXAS!

[ygmir]

I'd say mini-cams on the railing and under the plexiglass floor, and, a jumbo-tron at ground level for spectators......

[Bob]

The theme camp crew pretty much wants to know what kind of public hazards each camp represents. If the fall zone of the tower is on your own tents & vehicles, they probably don't care.

Might want to fix each foot in place with stakes, bolt the pins, and use guy lines.

[Ugly Dougly]

If every theme camp doesn't have a tower this year, then baby Jesus will cry.

You don't want that, do you?

[gaminwench]

FYI...We have a scaff tower in our camp, and this year, for the first time, DPW(?) came by on Tuesday and spent half an hour inspecting it - checking guylines, angles, etc. All of this for a private, in-camp tower used primarily to support our tenter's camo shade, no public access. Seems they actually are concerned about safety!!

[Elliot]

FYI...We have...
...concerned about safety!!

Splendid!

[Ugly Dougly]

Maybe you should ask your neighboring camps - especially the downwind ones - whether they feel comfortable with your tower so close to their tents.

[MK Magic Kristian]

Hi Gang,

For 2010 we are increasing the size of Victoria, our dirigible, that holds musical Tesla coils. From our build in 2009 we found that we must build a hangar to shield the airship from the wind. The X2 vessel in 2009 was 30 feet across. The X3 ship for 2010 will be 50 feet in diameter with a payload capacity of 500lbs.

We therefore will need to build scaffolding in the shape of a U. The area inside of the hangar should be ideally 60 * 60 feet. The outer footprint of the scaffolding build is 80 * 70 feet. We need 40 feet of height to fit the airship within the hangar. See attached image.

I have attached an image of the X2 from decompression 2009 in San Francisco.

If any of you know resources to discuss this build an introduction would be greatly appreciated.

Muchas gracias,

Magic Kristian

[/img]
[/img]
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=50 ... aid=116388
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=50 ... =506431938

[Bluemandrew]

We therefore will need to build scaffolding in the shape of a U. The area inside of the hangar should be ideally 60 * 60 feet. The outer footprint of the scaffolding build is 80 * 70 feet. We need 40 feet of height to fit the airship within the hangar. See attached image.

Does it have to be scaffolding? I saw some huge PVC "monkey hut" like structures out there. I bet you could play with the design and come up with something that big

Here's the original http://www.chromatest.net/Lovemonkey/

[EspressoDude]

maybe the event should be moved to Edwards AFB or a closed military base with hangers.....

[ygmir]

maybe the event should be moved to Edwards AFB or a closed military base with hangers.....

maybe even an "old folks home"?...............

[Elliot]

In my travels, I drive past countless small air fields with signs reading: "Hangers for rent". Usually, there is nothing I can do. But one time, there was an easy-to-remember e-mail address on the sign.

When I got home, I e-mailed them a friendly spelling correction. There may have been a mild element of sarcasm, but nothing cruel. It's such a common mistake -- but I kind'a figure people ought to know how to spell their own business.

There was no response to the e-mail, but on my next trip I saw that they were now in the business of renting hangars.

An English major's got to do what an English major's got to do. Thread drift over.