16-219 C.M.R. ch. 27, § 02 - Structural Requirements

A. All supporting members shall be of sufficient size and strength to support the structure.

B. Tents shall be adequately guyed, supported and braced to withstand a wind pressure or suction of ten (10) pounds per square foot. The poles and their supporting guys, stays, stakes, fastenings, etc., shall be of sufficient strength and attached so as to resist wind pressure of twenty (20) pounds per square foot of projected area of the tent.

C. Grandstands shall be designed to support, in addition to their own weight, a uniformly distributed live load of not less than one hundred (100) pounds per square foot of gross horizontal projection of the grandstand. All seats and foot-board members shall be designed for live loads of not less than one hundred twenty (120) pounds per linear foot.

D. Grandstands shall be designed to resist, without live load, a horizontal wind load of thirty (30) pounds per square foot of all vertical projections of the stand, and with full live load, one-half of such wind load.

E. Grandstands shall be designed to resist a horizontal swaying force applied to the seats in a direction parallel to the length of the seats, of twenty-four (24) pounds per linear foot of seats, and in a direction perpendicular to the length of the seats of ten (10) pounds per linear foot of seats.

F. Portable grandstands shall be provided with base plates, sills, floor runners, or sleepers, of such area that the total live and dead load shall not exceed fifty-five (55) pounds per square inch on base plates, sills, floor runners, or sleepers. When portable grandstands rest directly on earth of such character as to be incapable of supporting the load without appreciable settlement, mud sills of suitable material, having sufficient area to prevent undue or dangerous settlement, shall be installed under base plates, runners, or sleepers. All bearing surfaces shall be in contact.

G. A-frames, or other supports, and seat stringers for portable grandstands shall be secured to prevent accidental displacement during occupancy.

H. Field connections to wood members shall be by means of rivets, bolts, approved connectors, friction or other devices, or lag screws, except that lag screws shall not be permitted for direct tension. The use of nails and wood screws is permissible for holding wood parts together, except that these shall not be used for demountable joinings, nor shall these be used where their loosening or splitting of surrounding wood would jeopardize the structure or its occupants. Wood members in tension shall be connected at each end by means of not less than two bolts, rivets, or lag screws, or by approved connectors, or approved devices. Adequate provision shall be made to prevent the splitting or shearing of wood at such connections.

Notes

16-219 C.M.R. ch. 27, § 02