I am currently in the process of designing/building a play structure for my son. The structure will include a 5' high elevated deck, that is 6'x4'. The supports for the decking will be 24" center-to-center.
Reading through load tables, it is recommended to use 2x4 or 2x6 stock as the decking, if one is spanning 24". To use 5/4" decking, requires 16" or smaller spans.
The plan for this play structure is, it is for kids, with the occasional "mom or dad wants to play too!" So, in this case, would using 5/4" decking be appropriate? The 2x6 decking seems to be a bit overkill for a kids play set, and the trap-door/ladder I am planning to incorporate would get quite heavy for little guys to manipulate.