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Fabric Structure Foundation Surfaces
One benefit of our fabric structures is that they don’t require extensive, expensive and custom concrete foundations in order to be properly secured. We understand that every application is unique and the foundation available will vary; that’s why we’ve made our process fluid and adaptable to a range of conditions. What’s more, our pricing includes the anchors and attachments needed to adequately root the fabric building to the ground
Be aware that in some places, specific building codes contain rules and regulations for anchoring. Discussing the foundation you’re considering, your location, as well as the uses for your fabric structure will help us provide you with the most comprehensive, cost-controlled building solution.
Here you can read about a few of the surfaces to which Big Top fabric structures can successfully attach.
Dirt Foundation
Many of our fabric structures are installed in vacant lots or in spaces where little foundation preparation has been performed. Our structures conform to the topography up to a 7% grade slope differential. We fabricate structures with continuous base beams that support the main arches. This large base distributes the building load over a greater area than a small base plate would, and specially designed earth anchors are included to ensure that despite a less than ideal foundation, your tension fabric building is unwavering and secure.
Asphalt Foundation
If you have an asphalt lot that you wish to cover, we can help. Our membrane building structures can be installed directly on asphalt. We fabricate the structure with a continuous base beam that more evenly and efficiently distributes the load over the entire base of the frame.
Our craftsmen then weld an anchor receiving plate to this base beam. We favor 40-inch spiral anchors, and these are inserted through the receiving plate and into the ground, reaching a minimum depth of nearly 40 inches.
Because of the labor needed to sink an anchor to that depth, an electric or pneumatic hammer can assist the process with a special sleeve adapter.
Concrete Foundation
Our fabric buildings can be erected directly on a concrete slab or foundation. We use wedge, epoxy, chem-stud or j-bolt anchors to secure the structure to the foundation. We calculate the reaction forces that the structure generates at the base to determine the quantity and size of the anchors needed to guarantee the fabric shelter is secure.
Wood Pilings Foundation
We specialize in several applications, including those within the marine industry. For that reason, many of our fabric structures are installed over water on wood pilings. We have an excellent design for fastening directly to wood pilings.
We custom design and fabricate a continuous base rail to support the structure depending on the spacing of the pile supports. We can span up to 20 feet between piling supports, meaning regardless of size, we can tailor a fabric building solution to meet your project’s needs.
Ballast Blocks Foundation
In certain situations, anchoring our fabric structure directly to the ground isn’t practical or the best solution for our clients. In these cases, we have several options available to us. One option is to secure the building to ballast blocks. Temporary ballast blocks are specified to resist the forces generated by the structure until a more permanent solution is devised. Ballast blocks can easily and securely anchor our largest span structures.
If anchoring to the ground isn’t an option, another route – one that is quite affordable – is to use shipping containers as your base. Read more about Big Top’s ability to use ISO shipping containers as adequate foundation for our fabric structure.
