I have been looking into how to build and then connect the top floor structures up on the Playa WITHOUT welding. While we may need to weld up there, I really don’t want to make it a central part of our experience. I would prefer to assemble everything with simple hand tools. With that in mind, I am thinking about using angle iron for the base and standard pipe sizes along with the correct ‘fittings’ for everything that attaches to the base.
The basic idea is that we build everything in sections. We connect those sections together using the appropriate fitting. These fittings screw on which make assembly/disassembly much easier.
Example of fittings options (I love this video for its unabashed marketing hype 😉 Jump to minute 3:00 for the good stuff.
Example of steel pipe used for the upper rings and railings (16 gauge may be too thin and we may need to use 14 or even 12)
Steel Pipe
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And just because life is often complicated, we will need to create a base for the second floor. The truck currently has a box structure but that is not strong enough to hold 50 dancing revelers.
Example of angle steel to be used for the base of the second floor to hold the wood floor slats and to reinforce the entire structure
Angle Steel