[Ravensfort] showers / borderlands security

[Catie Clark]

byzytym wrote:
> I volunteered months ago for security.  I think I am sharing a late 
> shift with Alaric.  I believe Don Charles and Kitsune are planning to 
> attend as well.
>  
> I don't know about taking the plywood panels on and off.  That sounds 
> like a shoot me in the foot instead thing.  The shingles sound 
> interesting.  I wonder how heavy they are.   

I too signed-up months ago but was refraining from
"renewing" that sign-up until I had a good idea what was up
with all the medical tests. I think it is safe at the
moment, baring some freak result on the biopsy (which would
be a surprise right now), to go ahead and renew that
committment I made a while back to doing security at the
upcoming event.  I will take any shift - though it might not
be a bad idea to pair me up with someone who's a native
Ansteorran since I'm new to these parts and not entirely up
to speed on local customs.

I could grok plywood or any other kind of panel that came on
and off.  You put strong-enough bolts or pegs or whatever
that protrude from the frame.  You cut slider slots to slide
and then hang the panels. You tighten down with nuts and
washers and split washers, and cap with acorn nuts to
protect showering bodies from scratching themselves.  You
bolt on and then take off the panels every event and store
them in a dry spot - then it's only the bare frame than gets
abused by the elements - and that's easy to protect, easier
than worrying about protecting wind-and-weather exposed wall
panels. I think it's workable if you have somewhere to store
panels.  Use smaller panel pieces and some bracing pieces
that could go on and off and even wimps like me can help
carry wall pieces to and from storage.

I would think that storage would come with its own set of
problems, like termites and carpenter bees and mold and
mildew and...

Do you really need to come to a decision on what to do at
this upcoming meeting?  I'm thinking some more research work
on materials and design might not be a bad idea. Just a thought.

I went to Home Despot and looked at roofing sheets, 32 gauge
corrugated galvenized steel.  The panels come in a variety
of sizes, the largest being 26" by 8 ft (~$10/sheet). Yes, I
could easily crumple the stuff in my wimpy fat middle-aged
out-of-shape hands.  Adding diagonal cross-braces or three
vertical braces would address the lateral load bearing
issues, I would think, though I should probably make the old
brain work and calculate the yield strength for various
areas (and remember, putting in even one vertical brace will
half the 40 mpg wind load to 66 lbs - and every reduction in
unsupported area will also increase the strength).

(<<The wind analysis will not change except in terms of area
as outlined above.  The yield strength figures _will_ change
with material and again with the size of unsupported area. I
would not be surprised if Home Despot or Lowe's or someone
of their ilk didn't already have those yield strength
figures somewhere if you just found the right in-house or
corporate office person to ask. You can do these calcs from
scratch but it's really a real pain in the butt to do so.
At one time I could do this sort of thing off the top of my
head in engineering school and before I went from geotech to
exploration. I have most of this stuff in the textbooks I
saved from engineering school, long ago in the mists of
time, though I will come clean and confess that the bulk of
my geotech engineering experience was in foundation work and
road building.  Other stuff requires pulling out the
reference books and remembering where to find the right way
to do the calculations - but boy, can I ever design a well
and piping system! need a pump spec'd? need a dike or
retaining wall? I'm your gal! need an infiltration gallery?
no problem! And concrete and rebar and building stone/rip
rap are really my materials...tornado- hardened
storm-shelter-worthy reinforced concrete shower stalls,
anyone? >>)

ttfn
Therasia von OnReallyHappyDrugs