45x45m

This tensile structure has 4 king poles, with 4 bellrings to which the membrane of the tent is attached. The plastic membrane is then attached to the bellrings and laced to each other. These bellrings are pulled up mechanically and raise the “points” of the structure up the kingpoles. The outside of the Big Top has side poles which stand the roofing membrane 5.0 metres from the ground. Each of the side poles is tensioned with 5.0 tonne ratchet straps.

The structure is described as a Big Top Tensile type, mechanically tensioned, membrane structure, of traditional design except for the use of 100 millimetre strips of 900 GSM fabric to reinforce the flat plane of the roof running down the seams.

This kind of structure traditionally distributes its’ surface load down heavily reinforced webbings and/or cables to either a rim band (around the outside) or eves band down the section lacings and across quarter bands. This type of construction utilises the strength of the webbing to provide massive strength down the seams, and is tensioned by a combination of pulling the structure upwards along the plane of the kingpoles and outwards towards the side poles where the ratchet straps pull outwards and downwards to the stakes that are in the ground. This system has traditionally been employed across the world for some of the largest mechanically tensioned structures ever built.

These big tops are reinforced with so many different webbings and strips of fabric that even if the panels were removed, the structure would still stand!