Temporary Structure Inspection and Certification for Public Events

Public events don't necessarily involve large or complex engineering projects, but they still create engineering responsibilities that need to be properly managed.

Black Square Engineering recently completed another site inspection and certification of temporary structures for Clancestry, the annual First Nations arts and cultural event held at South Bank in Brisbane.

We have supported the event for a number of years, providing engineering assessment to help ensure its temporary structures are suitable for use and the event can proceed safely and in accordance with relevant requirements.

Not every engineering job is a superstructure or major project. Events with temporary structures also need to be assessed and certified to ensure they're safe and secured appropriately for the location and conditions.

Why Temporary Structure Certification is necessary.

Temporary event structures are designed to be assembled, dismantled, transported, stored and reused, and this makes their engineering requirements somewhat different from permanent structures.

Repeated handling can result in wear, damage, missing components or deterioration over time, and the way a structure is installed at a particular event can also vary depending on the site, configuration and surrounding environment.

An engineering inspection provides an opportunity to confirm that the structure has been assembled appropriately, remains in suitable condition and is being used in accordance with its design requirements.

For public events, this certification may also form part of the documentation required by local government, event organisers, venue operators or insurers before an event can proceed.

Site-Specific Wind Loading Matters

Certification isn't simply a matter of confirming that a temporary structure was originally designed to an appropriate standard.

The conditions at the site also matter, because each new location the structure is assembled at will be subject to different environmental conditions.

For example, temporary structures need to be assessed against the wind conditions applicable to their particular location. The local topography and surrounding buildings or structures can influence the wind loads experienced at the site and therefore the loads that the temporary structure, its connections and its anchoring or ballast systems need to withstand.

A site-specific engineering assessment can consider these factors and determine whether the proposed installation is appropriate for the conditions in which it will actually be used.

This is particularly important for temporary structures because the same structure may be deployed at very different sites throughout its working life.

Engineering That Keeps Events Running

Engineering work doesn't always involve a major new building, a large item of industrial plant or a complex infrastructure project.

Sometimes the job is relatively straightforward: inspect an existing structure, assess the installation and provide the engineering certification required for it to be safely put into service.

For event organisers and temporary structure operators, having an engineer who understands the equipment and the certification process can make that a relatively simple part of preparing an event.

Black Square Engineering provides inspection, assessment and RPEQ engineering certification for temporary structures and other plant and equipment throughout Queensland.

If you're organising an event, supplying temporary structures or need an existing installation inspected and certified, contact Black Square Engineering to discuss what engineering documentation or assessment is required.