ukinfidel Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Hi, I need to find a competant person to come and have a look at our church (victorian high ceilings etc) and tell me what might be involved in flying some truss for a semi-permenant video projector and occasional lighting use. Can't possibly commit to going through with the project, but need someone to tell me whether or not it's a silly idea and roughly what it might cost. How would I go about finding someone to drop in for 10 minutes and have a look? I'm based in central Oxford. Ta, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 The available approaches usually are: 1) For a smallish projector and lights, and a sturdy looking beam, bung 'em up like every other church does2) Get a builder / AV installer to use their skill, judgement and competance to say, "yes I'm happy to put a few lights up there"3) Get an Engineer to calculate the maximum load that can be safely applied to the beam, and pay several hundred pounds for his report. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSA Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 However only one of these approaches is likely to be any use to you if there is ever a problem. If the job is straightforward, you may well find a friendly engineer who is happy to make a judgement for perhaps much less than you might expect. Give a few people a ring! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukinfidel Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 However only one of these approaches is likely to be any use to you if there is ever a problem. If the job is straightforward, you may well find a friendly engineer who is happy to make a judgement for perhaps much less than you might expect. Give a few people a ring! I'm definitely going to go for the 'proper approach' and get someone competent in. The problem is, where do I find the people to ask? I don't think there is a 'rigging' section in the yellow pages - although I haven't actually looked.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamharman Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I don't think there is a 'rigging' section in the yellow pages - although I haven't actually looked.... Try 'structural engineers' They'll be able to tell you what the roof / beam will take, and how to fix to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I'm definitely going to go for the 'proper approach' and get someone competent in.All Simons suggestions are the proper approach it just depends on the scale of the job. For all practical purposes you'll have just the same recourse if a builder uses his judgement as if a structural engineer uses their knowledge. A builder can be just as competent as a structural engineer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamharman Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 For all practical purposes you'll have just the same recourse if a builder uses his judgement as if a structural engineer uses their knowledge. A builder can be just as competent as a structural engineer. Either way, they're liable for their mistakes, and for simple jobs, it's very unlikely to be a problem. Buying a few brackets from a reputable supplier and bolting them to the wall is one thing, deciding if you can hang an extra few hundred kg from a roof beam can be something completely different The problem comes if things go tits and cause major damage. The engineer will have professional indemnity insurance which will cover him if he makes a mistake. The builder will have public liability insurance which is unlikely to cover him for doing something he's not qualified to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukinfidel Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Thanks for all your comments. I've now contacted Henley Theatre Services who have said they can look at the feasibility. If anyone wants more details of what I'm looking for, then send me a PM and I'll send a PDF of plans and some photos. Ta, IM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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