• Home
• Resources

Resources

Electrical accidents rank sixth among all causes of work-related deaths in the U.S.

• Read this article

• Staking basics

  Sponsored by Tent Rental Division of IFAI

  IFAI’s Tent Rental Division asked the University of Illinois School of Engineering to generate a 600-page report on maximizing the strength of tent stakes. Nearly all key factors in smart staking are summarized in what the engineers referred to as “baseline conditions.” The engineers used 1-inch-diameter, smooth stakes in their work. They vertically drove stakes 36 inches into the ground, fastened a load 2 inches above the ground surface and pulled it at a 45-degree angle.

  Soil consistency is the first factor to consider in staking. The more resistant the soil, the greater the pull-out capacity, or strength, of an individual stake. The pull-out capacity of a stake driven at baseline conditions into hard soil is 2,500 pounds; a baseline stake driven into very soft ground is 100 pounds; stakes driven into saturated ground is about one-half the capacity of stakes driven into the same ground under dry conditions. Remember that soil conditions and pull-out capacity can change for the worse after installation.

  The angle, depth, fastening height and load angle of the stake also affect its pull-out capacity. Stake angles 30 degrees or more decrease pull-out capacity. Angles between 0 and 15 degrees optimized a stake’s strength. A fastening height of 2 inches above the ground maximized a stake’s pull-out capacity-the higher the fastening height, the weaker the stake. A stake driven 36 inches deep had significantly more pull-out capacity than one at 24 inches. The angle of pull from horizontal should be 45 degrees. Even a 53-degree load angle could diminish a stake’s pull-out capacity.

  Group configurations of stakes can multiply the pull-out capacity. The strongest grouping is a line of six stakes perpendicular to the direction of pull. Almost as effective is six stakes in two columns and three rows connected with a gang plate. Although less effective, double staking provides some added support, especially if the stakes are positioned about one-third as far as they are driven into the ground. More effective is placing four stakes in two columns and two rows. All stakes in group configurations must conform to the specifications previously listed.

  Learn more…