ENGINEERING'S WEAKEST LINK

I have an engineering  sensibility, this is why I enjoy the work I do. However, I often run into issues with things that seem well engineered until they break, then the weakest link of the design becomes apparent. It can be quite frustrating.

Being a problem-solver, I can usually overcome these oversights yet it leaves one to ask: What were the designers/engineers thinking of?

Case in point, a recent project assembling a child's play station. It's one of those kits in a box. The main supports, 2x4's, were divided in half to reduce packaging dimensions. Normally no big issue. However, since this is a load-bearing member, the splicing mechanism used was, in my opinion, not the greatest design. You have to figure the load limit of the structure would not always be adhered to and jumping up and down by kids would induce greater loads etc.

So, the main problem is how to provide strength. It would have been ideal if metal plates were part of the design.  Two metal plates attached with through bolts would have been my suggestion.

I would have emailed this suggestion to the manufacturer but they don't provide one on their site!

Mending plates used to augmnt the spliced 2x4