Anchoring, ballasting and wind resistance of a marquee

Name: Location Tente France
Address: FR

How does a temporary structure stand up to the wind? Stakes or ballast, NV65 and EN 13782 standards, ballast calculation: the technical guide to understand — and demand — a safe installation.

Par l'équipe éditoriale Location Tente France

Basé sur 100+ événements installés / an et la veille réglementaire CTS

Wind is the main enemy of a temporary structure. A properly anchored tent rides out a gust without trouble; a poorly ballasted tent can lift and become dangerous. Anchoring is therefore not a technical detail: it is the first safety item of any event under a tent.

Yet it is also one of the most opaque items for the client. Stakes or concrete ballast? What guaranteed resistance? What do the standards say? This guide gives you the keys to understand how your structure stays standing — and to check that your provider does things properly.

It covers the two main anchoring methods, the applicable standards (NV65 and EN 13782), the logic of ballast calculation and good practice by weather. Without needless jargon, but with the benchmarks that matter.

Anchoring by type of ground

Recommended anchoring method according to the nature of the terrain.

Type of ground	Anchoring	Note
Grass / earth	Steel stakes	Most resistant solution
Tarmac / car park	Ballast (concrete, water)	No drilling possible
Terrace / slab	Distributed ballast	Protect the surface
Mixed ground	Stakes + ballast	Depending on tension points
Exposed site (sea, plateau)	Reinforced on assessment	Technical visit required

The final anchoring plan is drawn up by the provider according to the structure, the site and the season.

The two anchoring methods

A structure is fixed to the ground in two ways, depending on the nature of the terrain:

Stake anchoring: galvanised steel stakes (60 to 80 cm) driven into soft ground (grass, earth). It is the most resistant solution where the ground allows it.
Ballasting by weight: ballast (concrete, water, steel) connected to the structure, used on hard ground where you cannot drive stakes (tarmac, terrace, slab, car park).
Mixed solutions: a combination of stakes + ballast depending on the zones and the tension points of the structure.

The standards: NV65 and EN 13782

Two frameworks govern how temporary structures hold up in France:

The NV65 rules (Snow and Wind) define the climatic loads to be taken into account according to the region and the site. They are used to determine the forces that the structure and its anchoring must withstand.

The European standard EN 13782 governs the design, calculation and operation of temporary tents open to the public. In particular, it sets the permissible wind speeds in operation and the safety conditions (evacuation, lowering of the walls) beyond a certain threshold.

In practice, a professional structure is engineered to withstand wind speeds in the region of 80 to 100 km/h in a standard configuration, with a safety procedure beyond that. Exposed sites (seafront, plateau, altitude) require specific reinforcement.

How ballast is calculated

The ballast required depends on the wind load of the structure (exposed canvas area), the wind speed to be resisted, the configuration (open or closed walls) and the anchoring points. The more the canvas catches the wind and the stronger the target wind, the more the required weight increases.

A key point that is often overlooked: closed walls greatly increase the wind load. An “open” tent and the same tent “closed” do not require the same ballast — closing the walls in windy conditions without adapting the anchoring is a mistake.

The calculation is the provider's responsibility; they must supply a ballast plan suited to your structure, your site and the season. That is precisely what distinguishes a professional installation from a slapdash setup.

Good practice by weather

Beyond the calculation, operation matters. A few common-sense rules govern use in windy conditions:

Monitor the weather in the days before and during the event
Keep the wall bases and joints properly closed
In strong wind, opening or removing the walls reduces the wind load (safety procedure)
Beyond the structure's threshold, plan for evacuation as EN 13782 requires
Never remove or move a ballast weight or a stake during operation
Call in the provider for any doubt about how the structure is holding up

What you should demand from your provider

As a client, you do not have to calculate the ballast — but you have the right (and the interest) to demand that it be done properly. Here are the guarantees to ask for.

An anchoring method suited to your ground, explicitly set out in the quote
An EN 13782-compliant structure and an M2 fire-rated canvas
A ballasting / anchoring plan that accounts for the site and the season
A prior technical visit for exposed or complex sites
Insurance and, where needed, a safety file (ERP / CTS)
A contact reachable during the event in case of a weather alert

A safe installation, engineered for your site

Tell us about the nature of your ground and its exposure: we plan the right anchoring, compliant with the standards, and ensure a fully safe installation.

Request a quote See the structures

FAQ

Vos questions, nos réponses

A professional structure is generally engineered to withstand winds in the region of 80 to 100 km/h in a standard configuration, in line with the EN 13782 standard, with a safety procedure (opening the walls, or even evacuation) beyond a defined threshold. Very exposed sites (seafront, altitude, open plateau) require specific reinforcement calculated on assessment.

Steel stakes are driven into soft ground (grass, earth) and offer the best resistance. Ballast (concrete, water, steel) is used on hard ground where you cannot drive stakes (tarmac, terrace, slab, car park). The choice depends solely on the nature of the ground; on mixed terrain, you combine the two according to the structure's tension points.

It is the European standard that governs the design, calculation and operation of temporary tents and structures open to the public. In particular, it defines the loads to be resisted, the permissible wind speeds in operation and the safety conditions. An EN 13782-compliant structure offers a serious guarantee of stability and safety.

Yes, significantly. Closed walls increase the surface exposed to the wind and therefore the wind load of the structure, which raises the ballast required. Closing the walls in high wind without adapting the anchoring is a mistake: in strong wind, the safety procedure often consists, on the contrary, of opening or removing the walls.

Stakes leave discreet holes in the grass, which close up quickly. On a terrace or slab, the ballast is laid with protection so as not to mark the surface, and no drilling is carried out. Tell your provider about any particular constraint (fragile ground, buried networks) during the technical visit.

The provider tracks the weather and applies the planned safety procedure: closing or opening the walls as appropriate, checking the anchoring, and beyond the structure's threshold, evacuation. That is why you need a contact reachable during the event. Never try to act on the structure yourself.

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