[SML] sprung floor load capacity???

[June Abernathy]

I don’t have hard numbers for you, but I can pretty much guarantee that a 5000lb motorized lift will be too much for a sprung floor, portable or built in. Particularly a basket weave floor. Laying down a heavy ply roadway to help spread the weight usually works, and would absolutely be recommended in your case. (I’d actually suggest just covering the floor in heavy ply before you leave if you can, rather than counting on the facilities people to do the work of constantly readjusting the roadway, but I’m cynical.) You might have your people contact the TD at Bass Hall or at the Straz Center in Tampa, FL (Michael Chamoun (813) 222-1000), or some other hall with a built in sprung floor if they aren’t believing  you. Or call the company that installed your floors, or any company that does such work.

June Abernathy
IATSE #321 (Tampa, FL)
FOH Electrician
The Lion King National Tour

> On May 12, 2015, at 3:00 PM, Richard John Archer <rja10 at cornell.edu> wrote:
> 
> From: 
> 
> We've got sprung floors here in all our performance spaces.   True 3 layer basket weave in some and ply on sleepers on pads in others.   University facilities is doing some work over the summer.  There is talk of using a self propelled genie scissors lift---older unit but pretty much a GS 3232 which has a weight of 5185 lbs.  and a 32' platform height. 
> 
> 
> I told them I didn't think this was a good idea.   Anybody really know?   portable basket weaves won't hold anywhere near this weight.   Not sure about a "built in" sprung floor.
> 
> I know they wouldn't allow fork lifts on it when the building was built.   They double ply layered a roadway when they needed forklifts to install the fore stage lift  mechanism.  
> 
> At the opening of Bass  Hall in Ft Worth, we literally pulled up a section of the brand new  sprung floor when using some floor mounted winches?..no one was very happy about that.  
> 
> Presently our  theatre uses a Genie IWP 30S   ?weight about  1500 lbs  You can feel the floors  "spring"  when it rolls past you but we've been using it for years with no apparent ill effects. 
> 
> Thanks 
> 
> 
> DickA
> TD, Cornell U