OT - Carport Anchors

[Bill VA]

Adding a little capacity to the hay storage and a few carport (for lack of a better word) questions.

I've got a 20w x 30l x 10h ft dome shaped building frame I am going to put up to store some hay and maybe an implement. The shelter was designed for use with a vinyl type cover, not unlike a large tarp.

On each side of this thing is a tube running the length of it, with holes every 3 or 4 ft for anchors - so I'm considering my options.

One of my thoughts was to dig post holes, fill with concrete and use a lag bolt to secure the frame at each anchor point. The lag bolt is threaded and if I ever needed to move the building, I could unscrew it from the bolts. I would put the lag bolts in when I pour the concrete.

The other option is to cut some rebar, weld a cap on it and drive them into the ground holding the shelter in place.

Depth: I can see a rebar anchor being 24 or more inches. If I use a post hole filled with concrete, the lag bolt could only go down about 12 inches and the question is - how deep (if at all) should the post hole/concrete go beyond the lag bolt? Somehow I think that even with a shallow concrete fill, the vinyl or whatever straps I'm using to hold it down would give way before the frame with cover would fly away in a hard wind storm?

BTW - the shelter didn't come with a vinyl cover, so I ordered a used bill board sign to cover this thing. Haven't unpacked it yet, but if it says "Mail Pouch Tobacco" on it, I'm turning that part out..... LOL!

Any tips, tricks and advice for anchoring this shelter are much appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

 

[DeltaRed]

When I worked at 'WeatherPort',we sent drive in 'duckbill' anchors.They would hold in a hurricane.The rebar 'spike' idea wont hold.The first hard wind will fift the shelter.However,two 3 ' rebars driven on each side of the base in an X pattern and secured (tied together over the base) will hold.The cover must be secured to the base,or it can lift the unit right off the base.Worked for WeatherPort over 10 years.R&D,designed many units as each unit was custom made to order.

 

[DeltaRed]

There are several manufacturers of the "tensioned fabric structures".They are NOT equal.The WeatherPort brand is the ORIGINAL tfs.Started/invented in 1968 in cold high altitude Gunnison CO.They are the best in the business.Not the cheapest,but the best.Was with them from '94 to '04.Helped set up the new factory at Olathe CO in 94. The company was sold last year to 'Alaska Industrial Rescources' of Anchorage AK.

 

[Billy NY]

Would any of these work?
Ground anchors

 

[MSS3020]

Hi Bill, I have a 12'x40' pull around building..(open on the long side like a loafing shed) any who they need to be anchored because winds will tip and roll them.. I used I think their called trailer house anchors. suckers are about 3' long and look alot like a post hole auger except they have either a eye on the end or a bracket with a bolt which either can be cabled or I use chained to whatever you need held down. in my case I used 4 on each corner of shed and two more spread equal inside along the open side. The nasty thing is you use a crow bar to twist those suckers into the ground but they hold...AND makes it mobile if you ever wanted to change location..Ive moved my building three times since I bought it 14 years ago..

SOmething else just thought of is using trailer house anchors and smaller chain tightners from holes in building to anchors.. you can then take up the tention and keep it tight.. oh well good luck.. show a pic when your done..

 

[El Toro]

You could use all thread in the concrete with a threaded nut. Then anchor to the allthread. Hal

 

[mj]

Yeh - There's a video on Youtube showing a guy using a post-hole digger on his tractor. He made an adapter out of pipe to hold the anchors that [b:d6e2557ceb]MSS3020[/b:d6e2557ceb] describes. Do a Youtube search for 'earth anchor install'

 

[Russ from MN]

That's what I would recommend, screw in anchors, we use them to hold down our deer stands, so the wind won't tip them over. And if you have a decent store nearby you can buy them cheaper than making them.

 

[flhr62]

Rebar with a nut welded on top will work fine.

 

[PJH]

Mail Pouch Tobacco! Good memories - I remember the barn roofs advertising Mail Pouch when I was a kid.

Screw in anchors! Those anchors are available in all of the farm stores, in the fencing section. They are easy to put in - start a hole with a shovel and spin it in with a bar. Longer rod and bigger plate is good insurance. They sell the little bitty ones too, but for just a few bucks more. . . Virginia? You might have rocks out there. . .

I helped our preacher put up one of those parachute carports, and he refused to anchor it properly. He tied it down on two sides to the top bar of a nearby chain link fence, using 1/4" nylon rope. We told him it was no good, but he started to get red in the face, so we left it. It lasted about a week - the first storm put it in the top of a neighbors sweet gum tree. Did you ever try to get a contraption like that out of the top of a tree? How do I get into these fiascos?

 

[Eric in IL]

.

 

[ohiojim]

someone above beat me to it but i had several mobile home anchors like pictured above to install, so i made an adapter to go on post hole digger out of 2" pipe, worked great..

 

[VaTom]

"Did you ever try to get a contraption like that out of the top of a tree? "

LMAO... and a good time was had by all. Does the tree still stand?

I knew there was a reason I only deal with heavy buildings. They won't fly. Don't know Bill's geology, but I only go down a few inches to hit rock. Number 6 rebar would work better here.

 

[dhermesc]

That's what I've used with mine - been in the same spot for 11 years.

 

[Hay hay hay]

Fastest and easiest and cheapest...4 ground anchors at Tractor supply, $9 each. Have held down my 20x20 carport for baler storage in 40 MPH winds on top of a hill. Just crank them into the ground.

 

[Bill VA]

Thanks everyone for your replies! Very helpful info.

Bill