Water Barrels As A Tent Anchoring Option

A water barrel demonstration at Industrial Fabrics Association International Tent Expo 2015 showed that a 20-by-20-foot tent required 40 water barrels to achieve 1,000 pounds per leg when all of the variables were taken into consideration

Water Barrels As A Tent Anchoring Option

When you mention water barrels within earshot of tent safety experts or insurance representatives, they noticeably cringe. Why? They are the worst option to tether tents for many reasons.

Scientific Reasons

• A water barrel is tall, narrow and it ties off from the top which could allow it to slip, especially if not tied properly.
• A plastic barrel offers little resistance against concrete or asphalt surfaces and has a tendency to slide.
• These factors reduce a typical 55 gallon barrel’s 480 pounds of water weight to a barrel that can fail at as little as 160 pounds of force.

Practical Reasons

• Professional tent companies properly anchor tents they lift the tent so they don’t have to combat the wind. That practice is almost impossible due to the time it takes to fill the water barrels all the way.
• Water appears to be an easy way to make weight. It’s not. Water is not always available, many venues won’t allow them to be emptied on site, and fresh water is wasted.
• Most tent manufacturer’s instruction don’t include water weighting as option. This puts the liability on the tent company and sometimes on the renter.
• More municipalities and venues are banning water barrels, and we expect this trend to spread.

Quantity Of Water Barrels Needed To Be Safe

Sure, water barrels are adequate for securing tents, IF you’re willing to use enough of them. Experts recommend installing tents so that the holding power is 1 ½ to 2 times the forces imposed on the tent. For a single 20’ by 20’ tent you need 37 barrels of water! If the wind is severe, even that huge quantity won’t be enough protection.

Other Options To Water Barrels

Consider using cement ballast, a widely accepted, safe and reliable alternative. Cement blocks weigh way over double that of water, have a lower center of gravity and offer much more resistance against sliding, greatly reducing the ballast footprint. The reduced footprint also presents an opportunity to properly ballast larger tents. For example, a 40-foot-wide tent will typically call for 2,000 to 4,000 pounds per leg, which is nearly impossible to accomplish with water barrels.

Everything Entertainment

718-556-3430

Safety. What really matters when you rent a tent!

Safety.
What really matters when you rent a tent!

June through November, the most popular time for tented events, coincides with hurricane season. Add in that unpredictable weather occurrences are becoming the norm, having some fundamental knowledge of tent safety will help you ask the right questions to your tent vendor.

The most important item you need to think about when putting the finishing touches on your next event or celebration, is whether or not the tent you rented will be safe during inclement weather. Oftentimes, that is the one thing you haven't given much thought.

Start a conversation with your vendor on the following topics and test your vendor's expertise of the tent they are providing. Scott Weisberg of Everything Entertainment, which provides tents to some of the largest events in the New York tri-state area, recommends you ask some of these questions:

• Ask your tent company how they are planning on anchoring your tent. Make sure you understand the steps taken to ensure the tent they are providing will stay grounded and handle windy conditions.

• If your vendor is using tent lingo such as wind categories, uplift and drag, etc., make sure you understand what they’re saying. Reputable firms will provide you with an overview of the set up of the tent(s) with respect to the safety and sustainability with regard to weather conditions. Make sure the vendor you are doing business with relates all this information to you in a clear and understandable way. An important tip - the greater the speed of the wind, the greater the wind pressure. When the wind suddenly gusts thereby coming at you at a greater speed, that is when the tent you rented will feel the most wind pressure and be put to the test. Everything Entertainment had to recently demonstrate that its tents could sustain wind gusts when erecting tents at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a high wind prone location.

• Everything Entertainment clients, such as the security details of federal officials, often look for proof that our tents meet industry standards. They want to be certain that our tents have engineering paperwork, meaning they have been evaluated and deter-mined to have proper strength with regard to weather conditions such as wind and that they are erected following local codes and ordinances. Local building codes determine various exposure conditions your tent may face based on where it is located, such as how near it is to man-made or natural structures. Ask your vendor about tent exposure as it relates to where you want to place your tent(s). See if your tent vendor is installing your tent using industry standards that have been set forth by Industrial Fabrics Association International and the International Building Code.

• Can your vendor include an extreme weather evacuation plan? If so, go over it with them and make sure you understand it. Make sure you understand how much time you may need to make the decision not to use a tent for your party, allowing for time to safely dismantle it and make alternate plans.

• Can they provide attendants to oversee the tent during the event, and how much extra will that cost? Everything Entertainment recommends having two event attendants to open and close sidewalls, handle turning lights on and off, re-positioning fans, etc.

And, above all, If the wind is too much during your event (over 25 mph or whatever the tent company recommends), and/or you are worried about your safety and the safety of your guests, just leave. Pack up the party and go somewhere else.

Everything Entertainment has decades of experience in safely erecting tents for a variety of events and occasions. For more information on tent safety and renting a tent for your event, contact Everything Entertainment at 718-556-3430 or www.EverythingEntertainment.com