I went to a gym a while ago and saw that they used wood framing for their bouldering walls. This seems to be a way cheaper and more customizable alternative to the steel structures I'm used to seeing.
Are there any cons to wood framework other than loss of strength, which shouldn't be an issue for bouldering walls?
I personally think that a steel frame is MUCH more customizable than a wooden frame.
The framing connections where different wall angles come together are far easier to achieve with steel than wood. I'm not saying that you can't do complex angle changes with wood, it's just far easier when welding steel.
I've done bouldering structures both ways, but I much prefer using steel.
The simple answer is that you can build more complex structures with less material out of steel. If you know how to weld and have the equipment steel is the way to go. You can still do a lot with wood but you end up with redundant members because of wood's low tensile strength. If you were to start using LVL's instead of conventional framing lumber then it becomes more costly thatn if you had used steel from the start.
You must log in to post.