Thoughts on Dome Upper Deck

[melodiousdirge]

My geodome is completed, and packed. I just read through the latest JRS on health and safety and there is a bit of discussion regarding platforms, railings, etc.

So... my dome is a 24 footer 4/9 3V, and I built a small platform on the top pentagon. The platform has no railings, it's just a flat platform, 11 feet off the ground. Now, I've been concerned since I built it that I would have unwanted climbing of my dome, bending of my struts (if you're not careful, they do bend), and unwanted occupants on my platform. Should someone fall and hurt themselves, I'd worry about being at fault, and so on.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? I considered "no climbing" signs, or "please keep off" signs on the platform, but I didn't want to spoil the whole structure with "please don't" signs. I also want to cover my ass though - I don't know the legalities, but if someone climbs up my jungle-gym looking tent thing and hurts themselves, I'd not only feel bad, but I'd really hate to be liable for their injuries.

Should I just leave the platform at home?

[trilobyte]

Regardless of legalities or liabilities, you wouldn't want to have someone getting hurt on something you made.

My experience is that you'll likely end up getting some people who assume that it's okay to climb up there. Many have seen domes, that platform's an unusual twist, and "why else would there be a platform up there?" Murphy's Law also dictates that would happen more likely when you're not at camp, or when someone's not watching. That doesn't mean it will definitely end in tears, but something to think about. Maybe come up with a more comical form of warning sign - something that gets the message across, but puts a smile on someone's face ("for fuck's sakes, don't climb on that!" or "ask before climbing or face swift death!" etc).

Totally awesome dome, by the way.

[Eric]

Maybe come up with a more comical form of warning sign - something that gets the message across, but puts a smile on someone's face ("for fuck's sakes, don't climb on that!" or "ask before climbing or face swift death!" etc).

That still might not work. In ('06?) there was a camp that had some two or three story janky-ass scaffolding up in their camp with huge signs that said things along the lines of "climbing this is almost guaranteed to get you killed" and "not designed for human weight- you will die". I talked to one of the people in the camp about how well the signs worked & they said it seemed to actually encourage people. They'd had dozens of people climbing it.

Unless you know your dome will support the weight of people climbing up to the platform I wouldn't bring it. If climbing on it bends the bars like you say it does, I really really wouldn't bring it- you don't want your home for the week broken.

[gaminwench]

post signs that say...

Please do not climb my HOME!!!

[Drawingablank]

Also, looks like the chances are pretty good that at least one climber will damage the vinyl too.

[waxpraxis]

Signs are nice, but messed up folks barely have the sense of pigeons - so treat 'em like pigeons! Put some spikes or barbed wire on the convenient hand-holds along with the signs. Heck, just zip tie some carpet tack strips - that should do the trick!

[ygmir]

[Bob]

Unless those struts are >1", *you* shouldn't be climbing on it, much less building a penthouse.

[DoctorIknow]

I'm supposing you climb it from the outside. You could get a big blue or silver tarp, drape it over the platform (maybe put an exercise ball under the tarp) and bundgie the tarp to the strut junctions on the dome. It wouldn't look like a platform at all. No one would get curious and climb. Then, when you want to chill up there, remove the tarp. I see many build platforms up high that are only used a few times, so "the neighborhood" would even be less likely to observe it's climeability factor. And the razor wire is surely an eplaya joke. Even barbed wire is a no-no, at least reports have been made that those using it have had to remove it.

[melodiousdirge]

It is 3/4 conduit, and it's quite strong enough for one or two people to climb on if you stick to the vertices. Stepping or hanging in the center of a bar will bend it though.

Someone suggested I electrify it, and while I laughed quite a bit, that's obviously not going to be an option.

Oh well, thank you all for your suggestions. Not being able to use the platform is a bummer, but I really don't want any more people climbing on it than absolutely necessary.

[DoctorIknow]

I have seen electric fence in 2 art installations in years past. The "pulsing" kind is the only one made in decades (so that small animals can break free) and I used to have a 12 volt model. Isolating your dome from ground would be hard, but not impossible if you wrapped hose around your rebar and bottom struts. Of course, after a mild shock by a curious burner, you might find your vinyl covering torn up or the contents of your dome ransacked...