Stage for school

[randomtom]

Hi there, have been reading this forum alot and learning alot about this exciting industry

 

I have been asked to build a stage in a school for the littler type of childeren so budget will be low £<5K

 

it is extreamly simple low height 7mx11m (27 decks) with stair either side

 

I am looking at using 18mm ply 8x4 sheets and 2x4 beams to make a sub frame under them

 

main thing I want to know is am I going to need a certification for it?

if so what type do I ask for and from what type of company?

am I best to get them to approve the design first then inspect after or just get them in once it's done?

 

OR

 

I have worked alot with a company who put up what I believe is called Alistage, could I buy something like that in for less than £5k for 27 decks?

 

Thankyou very much for your time

 

Tom

[mac.calder]

If you want low height, then look at getting band raisers. They are certified for carrying weight, they are cheap(ish) and they are really versatile. Buy a couple to use as steps as well, and viola, instant stage which can be easily converted into a seating rake or a split level (short) stage etc etc etc. Most of the ones I have seen are chip board or MDF, although I am sure ply ones exist. They are a bit smaller than your standard rostra in most cases, but about half the height again for the larger boxes..

 

Or you could use rostra. The black box I used to use regularly had enough to fill the 10m x 10m space and cost (iirc) AU$6k. The height was about 50cm.

[paulears]

An awful lot depend on your local authority. In Norfolk, in a public area with kids - no way would it be allowed. I was refused permission to use commercially made timber rostra on the grounds that there was no certification. This seems fair enough, I suppose - but to set the load limit, the test company will probably destroy one. On a product where all are identical, this works - on something you have made yourself, how will you prove that unit 6 really does have the same number of fixings, etc.

 

The other thing will be insurance - kids make insurance companies weep. Even if you could ensure the structure was built properly, can you ensure that 30 kids don't make a human pyramid dead in the centre of one? What happens when unknown to you a PA company arrive and load the front with a massive PA. You may not even be there - holidays, sickness etc, so whatever you build becomes your problem if it goes t*ts up later.

 

Plenty of people do build their own - I've done it too. Replacing a bit of steel deck with a ply sheet with a magician trap - like you, chunky timber framing and loads of extra vertical scaff support. It is hugely worrying when you walk in and see someone up an A-frame ladder with two feet on your trap. Even when you know you made it strong enough, it is still a very worrying moment.

 

A maltbury price list came in the post - if you go for metro deck, a 2 x 1 m cheapest is £275 plus vat, steeldeck is £295 for the same size, a bit more for 8 x 4 ft (I didn't know steeldeck came in metric?)

 

So you are not going to do it for your budget. How about getting the professional scaffolders in to build and ticket a steel substructure that you could board out? I'm not sure how longthe ticket would run for, but it could be the cheapest option. So much is going to depend on how your local authority view what you are doing - why not have a chat with them, they normally are quite helpful with advice and could save you money.

[Andrew C]

Just a thought; is this a permanent or demountable stage? If it is going to be permanent, it would be worth talking to a mezzanine flooring company. They would be able to build to whatever loading was required, and it would be a simple job for them. However, it is a very long time since I dealt with any...

[Paul J Need]

Have a look at the new smaller stages from Steeldeck

 

Very portable and strong http://www.10outof10.co.uk/acatalog/dancer500.jpg

 

Link here if you need any help

 

Link here to staging section

 

Paul

[paulears]

Er, Paul - he needs 77 m2 - so this new great product will cost him over 30 grand, if my maths is right - he has five!

[The Production Midget]

Good advice from the above.

[bruce]

I have been asked to build a stage in a school for the littler type of childeren so budget will be low £<5K

.

.

main thing I want to know is am I going to need a certification for it?

 

I'm no expert in this area, but I get the impression from your post that it's intended to be a permanent installation rather than temporary.

 

If so, it would be wise to talk to your local building control people very early in the process.

[Jivemaster]

The supply and fixing is a small job. The big job is the specification, certification and approval of the design. This stage has to be handed over to the school's insurer when complete and they will want to know what they are insuring.

 

If it's a temporary stage then get commercial blocks, if it's to be a permanent stage then get an architect from the area to draw up the plans. ( a local arch. should know all the local By-laws and the local planning and building officers. - Look on the PTA if there is one.

 

Pianos get put on stages the load on a grand piano castor is?? An experienced designer should know what are the loads to be expected and what safety factor is needed in that application.

[paulears]

I can't see the point in promoting really wonderful products that although good value, will not fit in the budget FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS - set by the OP He has a very large area 7 x 11m i.e. 77 m2 - A commercial product will have to cost less than £65 a square metre to fit this budget, so a cheap solution is required.

 

WARNING

 

Please remember the T&Cs. Pointing people towards a solution is accepted practice. Pointing towards products that whilst having merit, don't solve the problem does wander towards a plug, even if the product won't be any use for this particular user.

 

So, any more ideas that will fit the budget?

 

Paul

[Paul Jordan]

Get in touch with me next week... we have a range of staging called Dekex, which is a good quality stage specifically designed for use in schools and smaller venues.

 

BR

 

Paul

[paulears]

OK - that's enough. People are taking the mick now!

 

If you read the original post - you can quite plainly see that these commercial designs are FAR too expensive for the project. Paul Jordan's just posted another thinly disguised plug for a product.

 

FROM HERE ON - NO MORE PLUGS ON THIS SUBJECT. PM THE TOPIC STARTER - DON'T POST.

 

Any more like this will simply be removed.

[randomtom]

 

WOW, thank you all for your input, I am touched by your interest in my project

 

You have given me alot to think about and I have pretty much come to the conclusion that it isn't worth the risk taking this job on for them. (and I'm starting to wonder if the computer I built for them needs a certificate, should I have just got one from Dell and not saved them money eh)

 

I will get in touch with the companies mentioned and see if they can hit my budget, the school band is getting really good and want to put on a concert, it would be really great to get a stage for them and I think we have pushed the fundraising as far as we can in this poor area.

 

Thanks again for your comments!

 

Tom

[Mike C]

Cheap and cheerful.

 

MDF. aproximatly 15mm MDF, used for tops and verticals. Use joints that slide together (where you cut a gap half way down the material on each then can slide together) to make box sections then screw the tops onto them, bolt the pieces together.

 

Use this technique for alot of staging.

[Brian]

I will get in touch with the companies mentioned and see if they can hit my budget...

Unlikely. I've just been through this all myself. The cheapest commercial systems work out at around £125 - £150 per square metre for a basic platform with no handrails and steps. You need 77 square metres so you're looking at £9625 - £11550. Starts adding steps and hadrails and the price goes up from there.

 

If you decide to build your own then you should read this recent thread and think about buying the book I recommend as it has several designs for platforms in it.