701 Waverly Street, Framingham, MA 01702 -- (888) CONIG - 25
Tent Ballast Blocks
Do you need to hold down a temporary tent?
Conigliaro Block provides all types of Concrete Tent Ballast Blocks, ranging in weight from 500 – 5000 pounds. We make our blocks with standard concrete. If you are seeking a “Green Alternative” we also offer blocks of similar weight made with recycled aggregates.
Use of proper tent ballast blocks is critical
Whether the tent is being set up for a wedding, a sporting event or a festival, anchoring or “dead-weighting” your tent properly with Concrete Tent Ballast Blocks is critical.
Concrete blocks to hold down tents is Best Practice
The commercial tent rental industry has commissioned studies and is rapidly moving towards Concrete Tent Ballast Blocks as a Best Practice. There have been many serious tent accidents due to a combination of improper anchoring devices and/or methods and high winds.
SEE SCARY TENT FAILURE VIDEOS BELOW!
Plastic barrels are not adequate!
Plastic barrels filled with water are often used to hold down tents. They are not sufficient. If a plastic barrel full of water “weighs” 450 pounds, that is not the barrel’s “effective weight”. Studies have shown that plastic barrels have a low coefficient of friction with the ground surface which means they are subject to sliding, “penduluming” and tipping. This can result in tent flapping, twisting and catastrophic failure due to high winds. Plastic barrels full of water weighing 450 - 500 pounds may only have an “effective weight” equal to 200 or 250 pounds, which is not enough! Winds as low as 17 to 22 mph have been known to tip over water barrel tent anchors.
Even large tent stakes aren't great!
Even large tent stakes are not sufficient. Most times large stakes cannot be driven in all the way due to soil conditions. In addition, they are never really driven in straight. Stakes angled as little as 15 degrees are almost 30% less effective as anchors than stakes driven in vertically. And stakes not driven in all the way have less holding power because there is less area of friction between the stake and the soil. Also, higher stakes mean tent tie downs are higher off the ground which, due to leverage, results in up to 50% less holding power and in many cases bent stakes. When using stakes, attachments should generally be located just 1” or 2” inches off the ground. Stakes are also unsuitable in paved or hardscaped areas. Lastly, when installed into a lawn area, tent stakes can cause damage to underground utilities like sprinkler systems.
Our blocks are great for securing scaffolding and staging too!
Are you setting up temporary scaffolding or staging? Our blocks can be used to secure these temporary structures.