Removable railing - bridge - dance prop

PropDad

Member
I am building a small bridge for a dance prop. It consists of three major components; two ramps and a stressed-skin platform.

The front of the bridge will be sculpted foam board.

I was planning on making a non-structural railing out of foam or 1/4" ply, but I just learned that the dance will have the dancers leaning and VAULTING over the railing.

So now I have to figure out how to make a structural railing that can be quicky installed/removed (several minutes).

I bored some 5/8" holes in the stringers (similar to lightening holes) without a whole lot of consideration of how to make this railing. My initial thought was making three of the verticals strong enough to resist the moment of the girls flinging themselves over the railing.

I don't have access or skill to do any welding. One thought was to use 5/8" threaded rod and bolt it to a 2x2 vertical. I'll probably use tensioned diagonal cables to keep the assembly from racking.

Attached is a sketch of what I'm planning. The colored sections are the individual railing assemblies.

Bridge Colored Railings.PNG
 
I would use pipe over the rod.

I would build it so you could slide your railing over the rods that are upright every other one. So 5/8 inside 1/2 over the pipes.

But this all depends on what your time frame is.

Pocket the flanges so they aren't trip hazards and screw the inside pipe to the flange and then slide the 1/2 premade railing over it. Have the 5/8 stick up enough to cap everything.


If that makes sense.
 

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