Customizable Shade Structures
One of the most common questions I am asked as an engineer is: How to design a simple and inexpensive tent-type structure the will provide shade, but still be able to stand up to very strong winds. There is no better example than the Burning Man Arts Festival, where structures are unique, and budgets are tight. We've come up with some designs that are customizable in shape, yet simple to build. Our kits provide the basic hardware and instructions, you provide the poles (we suggest standard 10 ft. 1-1/4" diameter EMT tubing (readily available at most hardware stores) and the canopy material of your choice (tarps, camo-netting, etc.) Add some rope, cable, or ratchet straps for guy-wires, and you have yourself a structure! Our kits provide a simple and flexible way to create a stand alone shade structure or expand an existing structure.
We sell everything from basic pole supports to complete custom structures. Contact us if you don't see what you're looking for in our online store, or for technical support.
Note: For descriptive purposes, the term "wire" is used below to describe a flexible connecting method. This can be interchanged with rope, straps, cable, etc. to suit your needs.
Basic Assembly
Our simplest kit Provides a Top Cap, Steel Base Plate, Rebar Stake and a length of Rebar. To raise a structure, simply pound the length of rebar into the ground, drop the steel plate over the rebar (this keeps the pole from sinking in the ground), slide the cap on the top of the Tubing (EMT) and bottom of the tubing over the piece of rebar sticking out of the ground. Once the poles are in place, they are connected together by a piece of wire or another Tube (EMT). Guy-wires are then hooked to the top of the pole, staked in the ground with the rebar stake, and pulled taut. The canopy material of your choice can then be added.
Top Caps and Bases
Detailed assembly shown below.
To complete a structure, the poles can be tied off to a house, RV, tree, car etc. This works great for extending buildings and houses for special events. Multiple vehicles can be all tied together to create little camping villages.
Simple Structures
To erect a stand alone structure, you need a minimum of 3 poles. Use wire to connect the poles to make a flexible structure that can be made to any size, or use tubing (EMT) to connect the poles for a more rigid structure. Any combination can be used to suit your needs. Adding a couple rigid connectors to an otherwise flexible structure can not only help add rigidity to larger flexible structures, but can provide some locations for hanging items as well.
Expanded Structure
Any amount of uprights can be connected together to create as large of a structure as needed. For large structures, guy-wires are only required around the perimeter.
Pole Extensions
If you are creating a structure for the purpose of rain shelter, there must be a slope to prevent water from building up on the roof. If you are tying off to another structure or vehicle, this can easily be accomplished. If you are building a stand alone structure or have special needs, we offer pole supports with 2,3 and 4 ft extensions.
Dome Structures
Dome structures provide a very nice look along with being very functional. The key to having a good dome structure is having a good support pole for the center (we recomend standard EMT tubing). We offer a cap that slides on the top of your support pole that makes it 4 ft taller and has welded rings that provide a mounting location for your connecting wires. Our center caps are available with 4, 6, 8 or 10 welded rings. As a rough guideline, these are the maximum dome sizes.
4 ring - 20 ft diameter dome (actually more of a circus tent than a dome)
6 ring - 25 ft diameter dome
8 ring - 30 ft diameter dome
10 ring - 35 ft diameter dome
A center mount could also be connected to an RV and fanned out to create a half dome.
Special Considerations
Be sure to choose roof and wall materials that will withstand the weather conditions to be endured. Camo netting tends to be one the best coverings in windy conditions because the holes allow the wind to pass through, putting less stress on the structure and the netting itself. Obviously, tarps will provide the best shelter from the elements, but must be properly attached on all the grommets to be effective. Also be aware that tarps come in different qualities. Typically the blue ones are the cheapest and the silver and green ones are stronger, but this is not always the case. Compare the the weight of the fabrics used for construction. The larger the tarp the more critical the strength is. Looking at them in person never hurts. Use caution when using parachutes as they tend not to hold up to high wind conditions. When a roofing material is spanned a long length, it is highly recomended that a wire is strung above and below the material to sandwich it. This adds stability in strong wind conditions. This is especially important for dome structures. Be creative, but test your material before investing heavily. Click here for instructions on how to attach tarps to the structures.
Make sure what you are tying off to is strong enough. For example, If you try to tie off one of the poles to the mirror on your Honda Civic, you can be pretty sure you will be buying a new mirror. Use common sense.
This system can be used with any tubing that will accept a 1-5/16" diameter top cap , but we have found EMT tubing to be the cheapest and strongest. It must be strong enough to support the load applied by the guy-wires. PVC or other plastic pipe will not work for uprights. It is possible to use other materials for top rigid connectors. Just make sure a 5/8" hole can be drilled through the end. A 2 x 4 is a cheaper alternative.
We have mentioned that you can use various materials for guy wires and pole connectors. Rope tends to be one of the more difficult to work with because it stretches. If you feel comfortable with using this option make sure it is strong enough. If it is less than 1/2" diameter, it is probably too small. Cable works very well for connecting the poles together, but will require a bit of custom fabrication on your part. Ratchet straps are the best for most situations. They are very strong, stretch little and are usually brightly colored which means you are less likely to trip over them. Ratchet straps are available at most hardware, discount and automotive stores.
While this system allows you to vary the distance between poles, keep in mind that too much distance between poles can cause them to become unstable and possibly dangerous. We do not recomend spanning over 20' between poles and have had better sucess with keeping the distances down to 15' for all but the lightest loads. Remember, if you double a span, you quadruple the sag.
Our system is primarily designed for use on surfaces that rebar can be pounded into. If you are erecting a structure on a concrete or asphalt surface, it is highly recommended that you drill a hole in concrete or asphalt to have a place to position the rebar. Make it a tight fit and a 2 inch deep hold should work for concrete and 4 inch deep for asphalt. Obviously this is only a preferred option if you plan to use the canopy in the same place repeated times.
Finally, make sure you are not pounding rebar into utility lines. (easy thing to remember after it is too late)
Keep in mind this is a flexible system and you must take responsibility for using it correctly. Please contact us with any questions.
310-686-4820
davidjaz@yahoo.com |
