Velocity pressure 14.4 psf Before canopy coefficients
Peak core utilization — Anchors, webbing, posts
Screening result Calculating Quasi-static check
Roof + tents Wind ≤75% 76–100% >100%

Calculating load path…

Design, bill of materials, and limitations

Geometry and load path

  • 40 × 40 ft overall footprint; four 10 × 10 ft corner relief openings.
  • Eight nominal 8 × 8 ft tents occupy four 10 × 20 ft wings; the middle is a clear 20 × 20 ft lounge.
  • Six independent 10 × 20 ft porous panels rest on a rated webbing net and attach along every edge.
  • Four heavy inner posts replace a single mast; twelve perimeter posts and independent panels limit progressive collapse.
  • Side screens are 40–50% mesh, separately anchored, and intended to be rolled up for severe-wind mode.

Baseline bill of materials

ItemBaseline
Roof6 × 10 × 20 ft, 60–70% knitted HDPE or Aluminet, reinforced edges
Inner posts4 × 10 ft, 2⅜ in OD SS40/Sch 40 galvanized steel, engineered top caps and base plates
Outer posts12 × 8 ft, 1⅞ in OD 16 ga or heavier galvanized steel
Primary netRated polyester webbing/ratchet assemblies, 5,000 lbf WLL minimum on long spans
Ground anchors80 × ½ × 18 in galvanized lags: 4 per outer post, 8 per inner post, with chain links and washers
Panel attachmentsAll edges at roughly 12 in spacing; two rated retention tethers per panel
Optional walls2 × 8 × 20 ft, 40–50% mesh, independently anchored and rollable

What the calculation does

It applies q = 0.00256V², a 1.5 load factor, a 0.9 uplift coefficient, directional overturning, side-screen drag, tributary anchor demand, a webbing catenary screen, and post Euler buckling. The porous-force factor is deliberately adjustable because optical shade percentage is not an aerodynamic coefficient.

What it does not do

This is not CFD, nonlinear membrane FEA, a sealed structural design, or a guarantee. It does not solve gust dynamics, fabric flutter, connection fatigue, exact post bending, fabrication defects, or variable playa pullout resistance. Replace the lag WLL input with a proof-tested site value and have a qualified engineer review the final hardware and connections before people sleep beneath it.

References: Burning Man securing guidance · Playa Labs flat-top design · Aluminet installation guidance · Porous-canopy wind-tunnel study