Guide for poles and footings

Guide for poles and footings

Please note this is only an indicative guide and is not certified by a structural engineer. The information contained is not suitable to use for a building permit. All sizes are based on firm ground conditions and med/high wind areas. Sites and situations vary therefore these sizes will not apply to every situation. Please use this with care.

We recommend that shade sail poles are installed with a 5° lean out away from the centre of the sail (direction of pull). This must be taken into account when positioning the poles. 

If using steel poles it is advisable to have a galvanised coating to prevent rust. If using timber poles it is advisable to use treated timber. Poles can be painted to match your shade sail or surrounding environment.

Once you have chosen the correct size poles and measured the position of them, dig holes to the required size. Lay a 100mm of medium size gravel at the base of the hole, compact to form a solid pad OR pre-set 100mm of concrete.

Poles should be embedded in concrete footings with a minimum of 20Mpa concrete. The concrete must be mixed to the manufactures’ instructions or supplied by a certified concrete supplier. 

Position each pole at a 5° angle leaning out away from the centre of the shade sail and add concrete, ensure the pole remains in the correct position. The top of the concrete surface should be sloping away from the pole to assist with water drainage. You may require bracing while concrete sets. Poles should be left for at least 72 hours to allow the concrete to set.

We recommend that Shade Sails are installed as shown in fig 1 & 2. Shade Sails can also attach to a building (or existing structure) and to additional poles, but are not limited to this. They can be attached in hundreds of different configurations. It is also possible to use a wire cable to extend your Shade Sail corner to a fixing point.