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How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

  • 1.  How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-06-2025 13:27

    Hey all!

    For our competition one-act, our set designer was really ambitious. We have built a wooden platform 12' squared, and have set three metal pillars around the perimeter to frame it. 

    However, we've encountered an issue-our director wants these to be structural, with kids climbing on these. How do we secure the pillars to the platform and make it safe to be on?

    Thanks in advance!

    -Bryan

    PS. I'm student teaching, so I had no input on this last semester. :-(



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    Bryan Lucchesi
    CO
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  • 2.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-07-2025 12:09
    How wide are the pillars?  I'm not sure if this particular solution will work for you but perhaps you could find or create something similar.  We used Speed-Rail and Speed-Rail Fittings for years to build structurally sound sets. It's basically the same thing many railings and such are built out of. There are metal fittings that a pipe slides into and you tighten the lock in the fitting to the pole with an allen wrench. It has a flat base with screw holes to attach to wooden decks, floors, or whatever. Full second stories were built using metal poles and fittings.  

    Since you are saying 'pillars' I assume they are probably wider than these particular fittings but It should give you an idea of what may work for you. This is a pic of just one version of the fittings available.

    Best of luck!

    image.png
    --
    Blessings,
     

    		Jillian Lietzau | Theatre Department Head, Theatre Teacher, Registrar, FACTS Admin
    jillian.lietzau@lhsparker.org

    Lutheran High School
    (303) 841-5551 ext 200
    11249 Newlin Gulch Blvd Parker CO 80134
     www.lhsparker.org




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-07-2025 13:58

    Your question raises a lot of questions.

    Yes, how wide are the pillars, but also what are they? Pipe? Tubing? Something else? What are they made of?

    Are they free-standing or attached to something else?

    How high are they, and how does the director intend for the kids to climb up? And why? Is it part of the action?

    If you can provide a drawing of the set design and some answers to the above, I'm sure you'll get a lot of useful feedback.

     



    ------------------------------
    George F. Ledo
    Set designer
    www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
    www.georgefledo.net
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-07-2025 14:20
    Edited by Bryan Lucchesi 02-07-2025 14:21

    Excellent point, George! Thank you for responding. The pillars are made of 1" thick square steel tubing (apologies if there's a better word for this. I'm not knowledgable about metal). 

    They can stand on their own. In the picture below, they aren't secured. However, they would immediately topple if a kid climbed on them.

    Speaking of, the director wants the kids to climb up it a few feet as part of the action of the show (Alice In Wonderland)-he wants characters peeking around it and using it to play on. I believe the designer's intention is for this to be a cross between a performance space, and a big jungle gym.

    I think I also buried the lede on this a little bit: our director wants to attach the two pillars at the top, and use some sort of rigging to make an actor fly. This is for the moment when Alice falls down the rabbit hole. If you have any suggestions for this, I will also happily take them.

    None of us-not the kids building this, nor my host teacher, nor I-have any experience building something like this. The shop teacher helped us weld these pillars together, but he has been sick for the last week. 

    Lastly, I must say: I think these pillars, and this "flight" idea are dangerous and foolhardy. Unfortunately, I am a student teacher and do not feel comfortable veto-ing my host teacher's ideas.

    Apologies for leaving this out. I figured it was best to solve one problem at a time.

    Thank you for your help! I'm simply out of my depth here.



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    Bryan Lucchesi
    CO
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-08-2025 18:25

    Re: dangerous plan for pillars, climbing, flying 

    Read Chapter 7 of OUTLIERS by Malcom Gladwell, about WHY plane crashes occur.  Several failures must combine, and one big failure is the co-pilot's reluctance to give prompt, blunt correction to the pilot.  As a student teacher, you need to start treating your master teacher as an equal. You can be polite, but you still need to speak up about checking the safety of those plans for having your students climbing and flying on unsteady props or scenery. Work with another teacher or administrator if needed, and figure out how to create something properly sturdy that will support climbing, and a SAFE plan for flying. That could include hiring an outside expert who specializes in rigging the 'flight' system.  We really do not want any actual broken legs.



    ------------------------------
    [Eve] [Sutton]
    [Curriculum Designer]
    [Mortgage Meltdown: The Musical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54v8JiG42uU&t=16s]
    [Eve@mortmelt.com]
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-09-2025 13:15

    Thank you for the photo. It explains a lot. And yes, given what you've said, I agree that you are out of your depth and should not be expected to be responsible for the construction, especially given that you're a student teacher. Is your set designer involved at all? If not, he/she should be. This is their responsibility too.

    The pillars seem to sit on the stage floor and not on the platform. If that's the case, they can be secured to the stage floor with angle brackets (welded on) and lag bolts. Then they can be secured to the platform itself, and connecting all three at the top would increase their stability. But that does not decrease the bigger issues: safety and liability. Someone falling off and getting hurt would result in an immediate lawsuit.

    As far the flying, there have been threads here about the topic, and the consensus has pretty much been to leave that to the experts: companies that specialize in stage flying and rigging. This is not something you want to jerry-rig.

    I hope that helps, Bryan.



    ------------------------------
    George F. Ledo
    Set designer
    www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
    www.georgefledo.net
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-09-2025 13:41

    Thank you, George! I appreciate you taking the time.



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    Bryan Lucchesi
    CO
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-09-2025 13:16

    This changes everything.  As to the climbing, the platform appears to be about 24" high, which is generally the limit for not needing railings, and if the performer was to climb above that (assuming the vertical truss was structurally sound and stable - yet to be engineered) they would need some sort of fall protection.  Either an overhead retractile reel anchored to a 5,000 pound rated connection, or a vertical ascension climbing line as you would have on a fixed ladder.  Either one requires that the performers climbing the truss wear a full body fall protection harness (concealed in their costume).  An overhead fall protection harness requires a dorsal (mid-back) ring connection point, and a ladder climbing harness requires a ventral (chest) ring connection point.  Yeah, I understand that this may sound like overkill to some, and we all used to climb gymnasium bars and trees as a kid that were sometimes many times this height, however, the realities of liability for the student's safety have taken precedence over this. If you go and watch a Cirque du Soliel show you find that almost all of the performers a harnessed and secured in their antics - and these are performers with thousands of hours of experience.

    As to the performer flying part, you really only want to fly someone if you hire a well known and reputable rigging company to set this up for you, and train the performers and operators.  There are NO shortcuts or hardware store solutions that won't expose you and the school to an enormous liability.

    As to the general 'fight' choreography you also want to bring-in someone that has experience in this and can train the performers how to do this safely, especially since the fight will take place on multiple levels, ramps, stairs, and ladders.  There are way too many places for a misstep that could sent a performer into a landing that could break bones, cause a concussion, or even possibly break a neck or spine. There are professional Fight Choreographers available to provide this service.  Fights require many hours of rehearsal to make them appear fluid and natural while remaining safe.

    As to securing the vertical trusses to handle the dynamic eccentric loading of one or more people 'fighting' on them, you really need a professional trussing company to define the base, base anchoring, and truss to handle that load without failure.  I don't know anything about the steel tubing gauges nor the welding certifications for the person that fabricated them, but based upon the pictures and description, I'd say those items currently on the stage are not suitable for the task you have described.



    ------------------------------
    Erich Friend
    Theatre Consultant
    Teqniqal Systems LLC
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-10-2025 10:23

    I 100% echo everyone on the dangers of trying to fly someone on just those pillars. That is incredibly dangerous and a huge liability issue. I have flown people multiple times in shows over the years and have always used a professional flying company. To properly fly someone you need professional rigging to be attached to your fly system in the ceiling, definitely not a makeshift rig between some set pieces. The performer needs to be harnessed in properly with the right equipment. And there is a lot of training that has to go into this for the performer flying and for those that will be controlling the lines to fly the performer. It's not as easy as one might think. Safety is of the upmost importance! Student teacher or not, if you are concerned about anything you definitely need to speak up. Student's safety is at risk and that is far more important than how your boss might feel about you questioning their ideas. This could very well be a disaster waiting to happen. Sometimes directors get caught up in a concept and can have blinders on to the seriousness of the safety issue with what they are asking to be accomplished.  If the director insists on flying please have them look into a professional flying company. We used Flying by Foy, but there are many flying companies out there. It will cost you to rent the professional flying equipment but worth every penny when student safety is on the line.

    Your director should also consider other ways to get the 'falling' effect. There are a number of ways to use lighting and video effects to give the illusion of falling without actually flying the performer. 



    ------------------------------
    Jillian Lietzau
    Lutheran High School
    CO
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-10-2025 12:37

    Hey all!

    Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses. I'm trying to figure out a tactful way to bring up the fact that flying anyone from this is a dangerous liability. Our director is very passionate about the idea, and I want to be respectful, but at the same time communicate that I believe this is a dangerous idea.

    Any suggestions you have on this front would be appreciated. Again, I am thankful for you all confirming this is a poor course of action.

    Thanks!



    ------------------------------
    Bryan Lucchesi
    CO
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: How to secure metal pillars to wooden platform?

    Posted 02-10-2025 14:41

    I'd suggest you tell your mentor teacher that you brought his design needs to this network of performing-arts professionals, and overwhelmingly got cautioned against doing what he has conceptualized, short of hiring licensed and reputable professionals (and very probably even then - I can't see a professional practitioner looking at the image you sent and saying 'yeah, we can do that').

    You could copy and paste some of these comments to show him the specific concerns (I assume we'd all be fine with that?) and, perhaps, even ask to share these colleagues' contact info with him for a longer and more specific conversation. And, perhaps, to get some ideas of other ways to accomplish what he's seeking to do.

    Short answer: You felt out of your depth. You sought advice from a trusted community of experienced pros, and got some perspective and advice that you'd be irresponsible not to pass on. Hopefully your mentor teacher will understand and appreciate the steps you took to faithfully honor his vision.



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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher, Thespian Society/Drama Club sponsor
    Winfield City Schools
    Winfield, AL
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    Original Message


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