An ideal shade structure would be durable, cheap, and would be able to be taken down easily and folded for storage in winter. Moreover, the tension cables of the structure would create no boundaries for animal circulation. Two types of shade structures are used by the feedlot industry: iron sheets attached to cables or shade cloth. Shade cloth is not the preferred roofing material as the stitching can deterio-rate, requiring replacement of the cloth or stitching every 3-5 years. New technologies are now offering life spans of up to 10 years. However, shade cloth can be affected by hail damage, bird chewing or pen cleaning machinery exhaust pipes that can burn holes in the cloth. Cloth must be placed well above machinery. Current feedlot shade designs have evolved over time. Most are of simple design to minimise capital and ongoing maintenance costs. However, even though the structures are agricultural, structures of such size should be engineer-designed and certified. This includes the structural connection details, especially where tensioned cables are involved, and the fixing details for the corrugated cover sheeting. Constraint for support poles and for tension cables become one of the major structural part to achieve safety in working loose during high winds or a storm.
LIGHT FEEDLOT SHADE STRUCTURE: AN ENGENEER-DESIGN
BIBBIANI, CARLO
2005-01-01
Abstract
An ideal shade structure would be durable, cheap, and would be able to be taken down easily and folded for storage in winter. Moreover, the tension cables of the structure would create no boundaries for animal circulation. Two types of shade structures are used by the feedlot industry: iron sheets attached to cables or shade cloth. Shade cloth is not the preferred roofing material as the stitching can deterio-rate, requiring replacement of the cloth or stitching every 3-5 years. New technologies are now offering life spans of up to 10 years. However, shade cloth can be affected by hail damage, bird chewing or pen cleaning machinery exhaust pipes that can burn holes in the cloth. Cloth must be placed well above machinery. Current feedlot shade designs have evolved over time. Most are of simple design to minimise capital and ongoing maintenance costs. However, even though the structures are agricultural, structures of such size should be engineer-designed and certified. This includes the structural connection details, especially where tensioned cables are involved, and the fixing details for the corrugated cover sheeting. Constraint for support poles and for tension cables become one of the major structural part to achieve safety in working loose during high winds or a storm.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
