Teqniqal Systems

TeqNote

Selecting Set
Construction Materials
Originally published at TheatreFace.com, Technical Direction Discussion Group,
Rules of Thumb for Set Construction Materials, 2010-01-20.

A key element in the selection of materials should be the quantifiable structural strength properties they
possess. Set pieces that will carry the weight of performers and/or crew must be strong enough to safely
support the live loads imposed upon them. This involves both the bracing and flat materials as well as
the fasteners that hold them together. A solid steel bar supported by a ¼” wooden dowel is just about as
useless as an oak beam supported by a #6 sheet-rock screw.

Platforms, ladders, stairs, and other creations that carry live loads must be designed to meet relevant
building codes regardless of the length of time they will be in use. Unlike a dropped potato chip with a
‘five-second rule’, a structure must carry the expected working load regardless of its time in-service be it
a five minute vignette or a five year Broadway run.

If weight is a concern, then consider lightweight materials of appropriate strength. Aluminum or

fiberglass beams in lieu of 2x4’s, space frames in lieu of post & beam structures, and aluminum tubing
and SpeedRail fittings in lieu of the more conventional 1½ schedule 40 steel pipe. Fasteners can be
lightweight, too. High strength aluminum and titanium bolts are available and for mission-critical
objects that must be lightweight and can provide significant holding power.

Structural adhesives can be very useful, too, but be sure to live-load sand-bag test the final results before
climbing on them or hanging from them. Be sure to check them regularly for de-lamination failures, just
as you would check metal for fatigue cracks and wood for splitting and cracking.

Bolted joints can be as strong as welded joints and do not require the welding skills of steel and
aluminum. They also offer the benefit of disassembly after the set-piece is out of service. Become
familiar with the SAE and ASTM fastener (nut, bolt, & washer) strength grading systems and how they
are represented on the components. Using a hardware store pot-metal nut on a Grade 8 Bolt does not
make a Grade 8 rated assembly. It is also important to understand the difference between the axial
loading strength of a bolted connection vs. the shear loading strength. Wood screws have very little
axial loading strength (they are mostly 'nails with tread'), and typically not very good shear strength,
either (the wood can sometimes split before the screw bends or breaks).

With a coat of paint, any material can be made to look like any other material (well, except maybe clear
items). Another point to be considered is that all materials used for scenery must be treated with fire
retardants or be inherently incombustible (Ref: NFPA Life Safety Code 101, Sections 12.4.5.11). The
cost of intumescent paint must be added to the cost of wood and plastic materials, where metal structural
elements can remain untreated.

Lastly, the cost of recycling the materials should be considered. Wood and plastic typically just goes to
the dump (sadly, no one will buy your used wood, and used plastic is of extremely low value), where
metal parts can typically be reused and / or recycled.
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