Anchoring Fabric Buildings: Ensuring Durability and Stability

Fabric buildings and temporary structures protect construction site workers, raw materials, tools, and equipment. They are designed to offer convenience for a variety of uses, including storage, amenities for staff, and space for administration and lunch breaks.

While there are many customization options and engineering strategies, one of the most vital parts of a temporary structure is the foundation and anchoring system.

A well-structured anchor and foundation design are crucial to a strong, durable temporary building. Proper footings, foundation anchors, and high-quality materials support a structure’s HVAC, lighting, flooring, and interior equipment for excellent stability.

At Sunbelt Rentals, our technical engineering experts offer innovative solutions for building foundation options, wall anchor systems, foundation walls, anchor bolts, panels, and other supportive materials to build a secure, resilient warehouse or temporary building.

How Can You Anchor Structure?

Anchoring systems are the backbone of a temporary structure, as they maintain stability. Temporary buildings are often constructed on an existing surface, especially if it’s even and secure.

However, a concrete slab or concrete foundation is often poured to create a solid platform for wall anchors. There are several ways to anchor a temporary structure:

• Stakes anchor a structure to the earth or existing ground, such as soil or gravel, often known as earth anchorage.
• Ballasting uses weight, such as concrete blocks or slabs, to anchor a structure securely without drilling into the ground or a constructed surface.

The Benefits of Anchoring a Temporary Structure

Anchoring a shed or temporary building is flexible, as you can work with the existing ground without pouring a foundation unless this is a viable plan for your project.

While the most common way to anchor a structure is with earth stakes, lightweight aluminum frames can be an ideal solution for their durability and quick installation. They are also robust and specially engineered to anchor easily, which makes them perfect for short-term use.

When you select an anchoring system, it’s essential to make sure that it compensates for the weight of the temporary structure so that it is evenly distributed while standing up to sudden changes in the weather, including wind, rain, and snow.

Why Engineering Is Important for Ground Anchor and Framing Systems

Consistency and strength are critical whether you choose a helical anchor, wedge anchor, or other systems to support a solid structure and foundation.

Even distribution of weight and stability is crucial, especially when supporting a metal building foundation, a concrete base, and various materials, such as wood, steel, aluminum, and other materials.

Proper anchorage ensures that your semi-permanent building will withstand a reasonable force so that it can function year-round.

Two main types of forces impact the integrity and anchorage of a temporary structure: uplift load and shear load. A lateral or shear load refers to force, either by pushing or pulling, in a horizontal direction.

An uplift load force occurs when pressure from the wind lifts a structure upward or vertically. In both types of forces, a temporary building can collapse if it’s not secured or appropriately anchored.

Engineers and project planners can run a simulation and similar tests to ensure that anchor bolts, support beams, and other parts of a structure can protect a structure from various forces.

Customization: Why Is It Important?

If you’re building a temporary structure for a large-scale industrial project, you’ll need to consider the significant amount of force that can impact your frame, exceeding 50,000 pounds. For this reason, customization and careful consideration are required to design a structure that can fit your work site while remaining steady and stable during any weather.

When you customize your semi-permanent structure, you’ll have a greater ability to accommodate all your project’s needs, including storage of equipment and materials and providing shelter for workers’ lunch breaks and on-site meetings.

The Advantages of Ground Anchors

Ground anchors are among the most popular type of anchorage systems for temporary building structures. There are many great reasons to consider these types of metal buildings systems:

• They are eco-friendly and leave little or no impact on land or the surrounding area.
• Ground anchors offer a heavy load capacity on various terrain and surfaces, making them safer to construct and use.
• These anchors are adaptable to different soil conditions, which makes them stable.
• They are generally resistant to corrosion and wear and tear, so you can use them for longer-term projects and future site requirements.
• Minimal maintenance helps reduce the overall cost of repairs.

These anchoring systems are ideal for many locations, whether your temporary structure is set up on a pier, slab foundations, or soil. You’ll find ground anchors commonly used for projects that involve building new ports, dam restoration, road repairs, and developments along a harbor. They are highly versatile for outdoor events and stadium building and can be adjusted or extended as needed.

Working With Sunbelt Rental Experts to Develop an Anchoring Solution

Whether you’re building a small canopy-style tent or a large warehouse structure for your next construction project, our experts can provide a customized approach and anchor system.

We offer a wide range of materials, structural designs, and anchoring to cover tunnels, support excavations, high-rise construction, and many residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

Our team of professionals will work with the specific needs of your construction or restoration site to find the correct solution for your temporary structures.

Final Thoughts

When you consult with our rental experts at Sunbelt Rentals, we’ll provide everything you need to construct the customized solution for your next project while working within your budget and timeframe.