Width of Raised Runway? Is 24" enough?

[ClintonMagus]

Here is the first "test" of the runway with the roll-out surface installed:



We have not finished the pit installation, but it should be done this week.

[superpipe]

Just to keep the ball rolling on the raised runway stuff, here are some teasers of my runway. I'm still finishing some details, including paint and stenciling. After that, I'll get going on the pamphlet for how to build your perfect portable raised runway. I definitely went overboard on mine, but hey, I'm obsessed : ). I customized my plant box section to fit precisely in the front bun cutout for safety since building a pit platform was not an option for me with having to setup and tear down every practice. I still have a little foam stuffed in the gaps created by the front bun slants. I am getting a box collar as well which should eliminate any ankle killers when landing around the box area.

[PVJunkie]

Excellent looking runway.

One of my earliest designs had the "tab" connections to join the units. With my more recent models I went to a small overlap so I could use a thinner plywood and more cross braces for better "bounce" and weight reduction.

I am curious why you chose to orient the crossbraces "tall" instead of "wide"? I found (depending on the quality/thickness of the plywood and spacing of the crossbraces) that hard and soft spots showed up when they were tall instead of wide.

[superpipe]

Thanks. Yeah, I didn't invent that "tab" system by any means. I saw the idea somewhere else. I did use a construction process to insure a near seamless connection of all sections. Lumber is never cut the same size at all.

Anyway, I tested the first couple of sections for sturdiness when jumping on them to determine what I needed for cross bracing. The "take-off" section I doubled up and used 2x4's 12" on center. All the base sections are 24" on center. The ~32" wide frame was also narrow enough to get better structural support from the 2x4's and 3/4" plywood. I'm not even sure how you used 2x4's set "wide" for cross bracing. The wood is much weaker in that direction. I used 3/4" AC plywood which is pretty strong by itself. It's been amazing. It's a bit heavy, but two people can easily move a section. It's fast and great on the legs.

[PVJunkie]

"I'm not even sure how you used 2x4's set "wide" for cross bracing. The wood is much weaker in that direction."

I use 2x4's - on side - spaced 6" on center. This allows me to use 1/4" plywood for decking. 1/4" plywood is substantially less expensive than 1/2" or 3/4" and since 2x4's are as cheap as it gets (especailly when you catch them on sale) it makes for great bounce and low cost. Since the plywood is then covered with rubber it did not need to be the "finished/sanded" stuff......just the cheaper 3 ply rough stuff.

My newest version I am experimenting with is with DECK boards. They actually contain more volume than an untreated 2x4 at a slightly higher cost (but they are treated) and by narrowing the spacing between the legs I have achieved the same strength and bounce of the 2x4 design.

YES, I have built a few runways over the years.......the NEWEST design is yet to be built but will most likely be rolled out for next years Factory Vault.

[tsorenson]

Nice looking runway!
We finished ours last week using Rick's suggestion of 32" wide. We used a very simple and lightweight yet strong design, allowing us to build 12' sections:
-12' TJI's x 10" (actually 9 1/2")

-each 4' x 8' x 3/4" sheet of plywood gives you 3 cuts= one 12' section of runway (can't imagine wanting to use thinner than 3/4" plywood)

-plywood runs long on one end of TJI by 12", TJI runs long on other end by 12"...gives you a 12" overlap between sections

-2' cut pieces of TJI's used for framing/bracing every 4 feet...allows you to get a lot of strength with less weight than 2x4s or 2x10s...also you can screw into both the top and bottom cord of the TJI's=stronger...also it sits flush with the long joists on the floor=stronger

-2x4 "tab" screwed into bottom of long end of plywood drops into "slot" created by double TJI framing in adjacent section. This locks the sections together nicely with no screwing involved.

-Similar to Chris's, our box section is shorter (~ 8 ft) so that it doesn't protrude past the end of the front buns. This allows the other sections to be stacked across the front of the pit when stored to reduce the stored "footprint"

Jumped on it yesterday (first time vaulting since August)...runway feels great, legs=not so great!

I'll put some pictures up if anyone is interested.

Tom

[superpipe]

I'd love to see some pics of your runway. Do you setup and roll out your rubber every practice? Or are you one of the lucky ones that can leave everything setup? Aside from the higher price for me, I was worried about the strength of screwing cross brace TJI's to the long rim joist TJI's. The flange on TJI's is just too small for any real strength hold from screws. I guess the plywood top and and the fact that the cross brace TJI's touch the ground help keep the frame more stable. I still can't believe it would hold up if the whole runway had to be setup and torn down constantly as in my case. I sunk two 3" #12 stainless steal screws through my 2x10 rim joists into each end of my 2x4 cross braces. That connection will never come loose no matter how many times I move the sections.

The biggest positive for using TJI in my book, was it's flatness and straightness. Since each section would have two complete runs of rim joists touching the ground, the straighter and flatter, the better. I spent quite a bit of time and at multiple lumber places finding acceptable 2x10's for my my rim joists. No wobble at all. A disadvantage with TJI cross braces is it adds more areas of the frame touching the ground. If you didn't attach the cross braces to the rim joist perfectly flush, you just created possible wobble and decreased frame strength in the runway. These details drive me nuts.

Cool to hear about all the different ways of making it work.

[tsorenson]

Unfortunately, we do have to take it apart every time, and we do have to roll out the runway every time. The rubber runway is cut into 2 sections so it isn't too bad to handle...good "PV specific" resistance training to get the kids (and the old farts) out moving it around!
The design seems very strong. Every TJI cross-brace is screwed in with 3" screws through the top and bottom cord of the long TJI joists. I guess time will tell!
Ours doesn't look anywhere near as cool as yours, that is certain. We considered gluing the rubber to the runway but the weight was a factor with 12' sections.
Pics next week!
Tom

[superpipe]

Finished look of the runway:





Starting the construction pamphlet now. There's a purpose to that white stripe other than just a nice looking border. You'll just have to wait for the pamphlet to find out : )

[Glenn Colivas]

I am trying to buy a 120 foot raised runway.
Please contact me @ pvcoach14@gmail.com
Or call Glenn Colivas 281-253-3928