Admiral Universal Ramp Support

[Stuart91]

I was wondering if anyone has had any hands-on experience with the Universal Ramp Support system offered by Admiral.

 

It seems like it could be a good solution for an upcoming job that we have, but it's not the sort of thing I like buying blind. My biggest concern is how much hassle it is to set up in practice. It looks like a straightforward enough system and seems quite cleverly engineered, but the devil is always in the details...

[themadhippy]

but the devil is always in the details

indeed ,and one wonders whether they will sill work with 8' x 4' slabs of decking when the spec states

A ramp is a sloping platform made of Stage decks that are a 1x 2 meter rectangle

[kerry davies]

This is where telling us exactly what sort of application you have in mind would help but at first glance these appear to be expensive solutions to problems that don't exist when you have experience in stage building.

[Stuart91]

That's a fair point, Kerry. The requirement is a bit vague at the moment, but basically we need to construct a sloping ramp. Used mainly for loading (wheeling flight cases etc.) but potentially the occasional wheelchair user.

 

The actual height required for the ramp will vary depending on terrain, as the main stage will be jacked to suit the terrain. I'd expect that it'll fall between 1m and 1.3m most of the time.

 

Part of the challenge is that whilst the crew will be competent, they're not seasoned experts, so I'd like something that requires as little tweaking and fettling as possible. If there's an easy technique for ramp building using standard parts that I've overlooked, then I'm all ears.

 

Like Hippy, I did wonder if 8x4ft decks would be an option, the additional width would be handy. One potential snag is that the extrusion that's put into the slots between the decks will fall short, as will the wedge section at the bottom. I suspect we could find a way around these limitations, but in general I'd prefer not to be straying from the manufacturers spec.

[kerry davies]

The staging hire companies and manufacturers each have their own proprietary methods and kit so the first port of call is to whomsoever you are getting the decks from. Steeldeck, Litedeck and Alistage all have their own methods. Failing that the cost of just two or three of these bracket things could see you afford to buy a heavy duty aluminium truck ramp for flightcases which would hold value for resale BUT (big but)...

 

Once you mention "terrain" and stage heights over 4 foot then the questions of crew competence become urgent. If they are not experienced in stage building then they are not competent by definition. If there isn't someone supervising them capable of preparing an adequate Risk Assessment it can get worrying. Occasional wheelchair users also make the size and design of ramp more fixed, a four foot high ramp could be up to 48 foot long, talk to the experts.

 

NB, if you are using screwjacks to level the stage these bring their own difficulties once you get over 4 foot and need bracing to satisfy MI's. (Alistage have their own built-in adjustable screws and long legs which have their own built-in braces.) Obviously you need more details but, at a guess, I reckon you could do with someone to design the staging and ramps for you (and no I am not looking for work, I retired, Giles Favell of this parish might be worth a PM).

[andy_s]

but the devil is always in the details

indeed ,and one wonders whether they will sill work with 8' x 4' slabs of decking when the spec states

A ramp is a sloping platform made of Stage decks that are a 1x 2 meter rectangle

having had a look at the manual / instructions for this device, it looks to me like it's a "universal" Ramp Support designed for Prolyte StageDex, which come in metric sizes. It doesn't look like it would be compatible with Steeldeck or LiteDeck which come in 8x4.

 

I think it's pretty expensive for what it is, and wouldn't use it.

[Stuart91]

having had a look at the manual / instructions for this device, it looks to me like it's a "universal" Ramp Support designed for Prolyte StageDex, which come in metric sizes. It doesn't look like it would be compatible with Steeldeck or LiteDeck which come in 8x4.

 

There are some manufacturers who offer 8x4ft decks with the same extrusion and leg clamp style as StageDex. These ramps adaptors might physically fit that decking (unlike traditional steel/litedeck which has deeper leg sockets). However I'd expect that with the different length of deck, the figures for leg lengths and angles will be incorrect, so it'd be a case of trial and error to get the correct pin for the application. I think that rules it out.

 

I think it's pretty expensive for what it is, and wouldn't use it.

 

Are there any better alternatives, or is it best just to use adjustable legs and tweak to suit? Neither Prolyte or Sixty82 offer any specific ramp products on their websites - the Admiral supports caught my eye because I hadn't seen anything similar before.