Shanti Tower
How high the platform can go, what rail it then needs, and how much clear ground the whole structure claims.
The height question has a hard edge at 30 in (760 mm). Below that line a platform can stand open; at or above it, every open edge needs a guardrail. Most family towers are really choosing between two builds: a low platform under the threshold, or a railed deck above it.
Rail height follows the child. Children under five need a rail at least 38 in (965 mm) tall; ages five to twelve need 48 in (1.22 m). Where both will use the tower, build to the taller figure — a rail can always be too low for the oldest child, never too high for the youngest.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
Whatever the height, the ground rule stays fixed: a use zone of at least 6 ft (1.8 m) in every direction from the equipment, holding nothing hard or fixed. Measure it from the furthest point a child or a moving swing can reach, and tape it out on the ground before any digging starts.
Slides extend the zone. The exit needs an additional 6 ft (1.8 m) of clear landing beyond the end of the slide, added to the basic zone rather than overlapped with it. Aim the slide into open lawn, never toward a boundary.
Openings anywhere in the structure — rails, ladder sides, the gap between platform and rail — must stay out of the 3-5 in (76-127 mm) band that traps heads; build them smaller or larger. For the frame that holds all this up, see Beams, Joists and Coastal Fastenings, and for the hardware that keeps it standing, see Swing Hangers, Ladders and Post Anchors.
Further reading