Tent professionals thrive when they pair code knowledge with professional relationships.” This piece of wisdom is from Ethan Pretsch, president of WatchDog Robotics in Jackson, Wyo. In this article, Pretsch and other leaders in the tent industry discuss ways to stay on top of code changes and offer insights into obtaining permits and navigating requirements related to fire, snow and wind.
Permits and load requirements
There have been several recent code changes that directly affect tent installers. One change emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and relates to the time frame for reapplying for permits.
“The previous code requirement was to allow tent installations up to 180 days without having to reapply for another permit,” says Paul Armstrong, CEO of Paul Armstrong Code Consulting Services in Long Beach, Calif. “It was recognized that there are many cases where installations need extended time.”
The new code has extended this period to 365 days. But this extension means companies need to be aware of how to document compliance for tents installed between 181 and 365 days to satisfy the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
“To begin,” Armstrong says, “call out the installation time period clearly on the site plan and in the scope of the required permit. Then list the conditions for these Public Occupancy Temporary Structures [POTS]. These conditions are found in the 2024 IBC [International Building Code]. If you have frequent tent installations in a particular jurisdiction, you should meet with the building or fire official to understand what they need to be able to determine compliance easily.”
The extension also acknowledges that temporary structures “are not subject to the same risks as permanently installed structures with a life of 50 years plus,” says Armstrong. “The recognition allows for reduced loads for the various loading conditions.”
The lower load requirements for tents are corroborated by structural engineer Wayne Rendely, who is an Engineer of Record for site-specific locations and dates for events such as golf tournaments. “Temporary tents can be designed for lower wind, live, snow and seismic loads, and anchors can be staked,” Rendely says.
The required loading for buildings, tents and other structures is found in ASCE 7, the American Society of Civil Engineers standard. “Depending on the climatic, geographic or topographic conditions of a proposed location, some loads are more key or likely than others,” says Armstrong. “As an example, in Florida, wind loading is a major concern as opposed to seismic loading. Note that ASCE 7 is used in conjunction with the adopted building code to generate the complete loads for tents.”
Armstrong explains that load reductions are developed from studies of the performance of structures. The reductions are found in the 2024 IBC. “The reductions also vary from load condition to load condition. Your registered design professional should be able to provide the new analysis,” he says. “Another major condition for the allowance of these new reduced loads is the development of controlled occupancy procedures for the use of tents under these conditions. This set of procedures provides the conditions under which tent installations may have to be evacuated, removed or can stay in place.”
Snow loads
One of the most challenging loads to predict and properly prepare for is snow. In addition to all the other complications of winter installs—cold crack, equipment failures, frostbitten employees—there is always a high degree of uncertainty around how much snow will fall and how heavy it will be. Twenty inches of light, fluffy snow is not the same as 20 inches of heavy, wet snow and ice.
Alexandre Renaud, owner and president of Fiesta Tents Ltd., Saint-Laurent, Que, Canada, says that despite these challenges, the rental tent market during the winter has grown and become more stable. “Now we do have recurring events because we have the capacity to provide temporary structures that can be used in snow conditions,” he says.
It is crucial those tents stay up under the weight of any snowfall that occurs; the snow load requirements help ensure installers are prepared.
“The idea is that the different geographical areas will have requirements,” says Renaud. “If you have a structure or a building in this area, you must meet this amount of snow load. And that will be calculated by authorities having jurisdictions using the snow charts.”
The charts report the recurring snowfall mean from 10, 20, 30 years or more, and municipalities use these charts in conjunction with existing building codes to apply the recommended snow load. But in some cases, municipalities might make the requirements more stringent.
The manufacturer or a third-party engineer performs calculations to verify that tents meet the snow load, then produces a document along with a drawing of the structure, which are used to obtain the permit.
There are different ways to reinforce tents to better withstand snow accumulation. Those methods include reinforcing aluminum members with steel inserts and shortening the spacing. “Imagine you make a tent that’s 60 feet wide and use a 4-by-6 extrusion,” Renaud says. “If you take that same 4-by-6 aluminum member and you cut down the size of your tent to 20 feet, now you’re getting a lot more structural resistance.”
Another factor to consider is shedding. The design of the tent determines whether snow accumulates on top or falls to the ground. “Increasing the slope of your roof improves its ability to shed snow, allowing the structure to better withstand snowfall in regions with higher accumulation by naturally facilitating snow evacuation,” says Renaud. A steeper slope can reduce the need for structural resistance or structural reinforcements to be able to take the dead load from snowfall.
Even if a tent does not meet the required snow load capacity, tent companies can offer to implement risk mitigation strategies. Renaud outlines several options: “One approach is to offer heating systems. Having on-call staff available to clear snow during the event can also be effective. Lastly, establishing an evacuation plan—triggered by a specific amount of snowfall, actual or forecasted—may be acceptable in certain situations.”
Wind speeds
Another safety risk for tents is, of course, wind. Everyone in the tent industry has seen the videos of people sheltering inside a tent during a storm, desperately holding on to tent poles as the structure threatens to turn into a giant kite. The injuries and even fatalities that have resulted from these types of situations were both tragic and avoidable, negatively impacting the entire industry.
Rendely recommends special design considerations for large clearspan structures and multi-tent installations to prevent damage to the structure, but urges installers and event planners not to rely on the outer limits of the wind speed rating when it comes to occupant safety.
“For all tents, large and small, I recommend evacuation at a wind speed lower than the safe occupancy rating of the tent,” says Rendely. “For instance, a tent rated for 70 mph ASD [Allowable Stress Design] with an LRFD [Load and Resistance Factor Design] rating of 90 mph might have a recommendation to be evacuated and unoccupied if wind gusts of 45 mph are experienced or predicted.”
Fire watch vs. suppression
Pretsch has dedicated his professional life to reducing the threat fires pose to tents. He established WatchDog Robotics after working with an industrial tent rental company and seeing problems with projects that relied on temporary sprinklers. His advice for complying with fire codes is to engage with fire officials early, review the plans and share your NFPA 701 Flame certificates ahead of time.
“That’s proof that the tent is not going to go up in flames instantly and that it self-extinguishes when the source flame is removed,” Pretsch says.
In addition, there is a misconception that fire watch is an acceptable replacement for fire suppression.
“It often is,” Pretsch says. “But if you’ve got a job that has special hazards or longer durations, the more complex it is, the more likely that the authority having jurisdiction is going to want real sprinklers. So you can’t just plan or bid for a project saying, ‘You know what? We’re just going to use fire watch on this project.’ You should have a conversation with your fire marshal beforehand.”
Staying up to date
Given the importance of codes, tent professionals should have a solid understanding of the most recent code requirements. They can also get involved in the code change procedure, which is a public process that involves the International Code Committee.
However, there are less time-consuming ways to keep track of code changes. “The fastest way to stay current is the code committee of the ATA [Advanced Textiles Association],” says Renaud. “The ATA’s TRD [Tent Rental Division] does follow the code change process. We have a code consultant that’s hired by TRD [Paul Armstrong]. As a consultant for TRD, part of his job is to monitor potential code changes and bring them up to the committee for discussion to see if we support or oppose.”
Renaud also suggests consulting a third-party engineer who works with tent companies. “They would tend to stay current on code changes that would affect your work,” he says.
In addition, it is good practice to share knowledge about codes with staff to prevent problems down the line. For example, Pretsch suggests training sales staff on the guidelines for the design and layout of structures.
“If you create basic design guidelines for your sales team, you can avoid headaches down the road,” he says. “For example, make sure no occupant is more than 100 feet from an exit, every exit door is marked with a battery-backed exit sign, and a fire extinguisher is placed right beside each exit. If you can implement systems within your company that cover these general rules and training, you’re not going to sell a project, install it, and then the fire marshal inspects it and says, ‘Well, you don’t have enough doors, you are missing fire extinguishers and there’s no placards saying, ‘No smoking.’”
Build relationships
Speaking of fire marshals, Pretsch and Renaud have advice that does not appear in any code but might go a long way to improving the process of obtaining a permit and making it a smoother and friendlier experience: become acquainted with the AHJ and staff at the permit office.
“Spend the energy and the time to get to know these people by name, so that they recognize you,” says Renaud. “And follow up when they have something you have to address or correct. Make sure that it’s done.”
Pretsch concurs with this approach. “You, as an owner or operator, and your management team should make an effort to get to know the code officials that you work with regularly. That can mean stopping by their office and introducing yourself. That could mean inviting them to take a tour of your shop the next time you have an open house, and when you’re meeting with them, shake their hand and explain, ‘We care about safety. We care about professionalism.’”
Alan Pierce is a freelance writer in Burnsville, Minn., with a background in journalism as a reporter and editor.
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