Advice From Engineers and Techies, Please!

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by shiney, Apr 1, 2012.

  1. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    This year when we open our garden we shall have three Flamenco dancers performing.

    They need a large enough area for them to put their wooden dance floor down, access to power for their recorded music and access to a room for changing.

    This is not a problem but we have to decide where in the garden they should be. The logical place is on the patio outside the french doors of the lounge. We can run an extension cable without it being in the way ('elf and Safety!) and they can change in the lounge.

    A possible problem that occurs to my very non-technical brain is that the very hard stamping of their heels may damage the patio - depending on how thick and solid their flooring is.

    Am I right to be worrying?
    The wood will, obviously, spread the load to some extent but would thicker wood make it unlikely to damage the paving and how thick should it be?
    Even with thick wood, is it likely that the vibration from the stamping might loosen the pointing?

    It would be easy enough to have the dancing on the lawn but then the power cable will have to come out of a door, across part of the patio and across part of the lawn.

    Answers on the back of a £10 note, please :snork:
     
  2. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Shiney, wood is very good at absorbing vibration.
    I'm sure they have the right kind of flooring for making it sound good.
    Perhaps plywood atleast 18mm thick.
     
  3. ClaraLou

    ClaraLou Total Gardener

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    How heavy are the dancers?
     
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    • ClaraLou

      ClaraLou Total Gardener

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      April fool!
       
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        I don't know :scratch: but I'm not sure that it makes a great deal of difference. I guess it's the force generated by stamping their heels that is the main factor.
         
      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        Dohh!!! :doh: :snork: - but it is after midday :thumbsup: :biggrin:
         
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        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          OK I fell for it
           
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          • Jungle Jane

            Jungle Jane Starved Of Technicolor

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            What about those foam mats that schools use for PE under the wooden floor?
             
          • HarryS

            HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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            Could the flamenco dancers wear wellies , to dampen the forces out :chicken:
             
          • ClaraLou

            ClaraLou Total Gardener

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            Provide them with a trampoline. :dancy::dancy::dancy: :hapfeet::hapfeet::hapfeet:
             
          • watergarden

            watergarden have left the forum because...i'm a sad case

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            Only "problem" I can see is how close will they be to the patio doors? If one slips you and they don't want them heading towards the glass. If the patio is big enough and the "dance floor" small enough put it on the patio as far away from the house as possible.
             
          • Kleftiwallah

            Kleftiwallah Gardener

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            Believe it or believe it not, in my (much) younger days I was in a dance troop and we went around Agricultural Shows and fetes in the North West. For the tap dancing we all had a square yard (no meters in sight) of hardboard shiny side up just plonked onto the grass and that did very well. If you promise not to scream, I'll look out an old 'photo' Cheers, Tony.
             
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            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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            • *dim*

              *dim* Head Gardener

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              neoprene rubber sheet beneath the wood

              or, as someone mentioned .... wellies ....

               
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