Assembly guidelines
These Agricultural Shade Cloth assembly guidelines has
been produced with the cooperation of our many farming customers.
Their
practical experience with our products has helped us develop guidelines
for the most practical methods of handling and erecting the different
kinds of netting in the most manageable configurations.
Please
be aware that these assembly guidelines serves only as a guide since it
covers general principles. Each project invariably presents its own peculiar
problems which you will readily overcome by applying these general principles.
On
any given project, the critical factors contributing to structural
stability and operating efficiency when using Alnet products are:
-
correct lacing up of shade cloth and hail nets;
- secure
anchoring of outer poles;
- correct
spacing of poles for the different structures to ensure correct areas
of netting between supports.
You
will also find it helpful to regard each of the examples which follow
as a unit or module - to cover larger areas, you simply keep adding modules.
Assembling a structure - Where do you start?
Three important factors
- namely:
- the site
- terrain,
- prevailing climatic
conditions,
- and the type
of operation planned - will determine the type of structure to be
erected.
An uneven site
needs to be leveled as far as possible and in extreme cases, it may be
necessary to build terraces. This, of course, disturbs the fertile
topsoil, so it will be preferable to use such a shadehouse to grow
containerized plants - trays of seedlings and potplants. Pitched-roof
or multispan structures of modular design are more readily adapted
to varying ground levels.
If you farm in a hail
belt, a pitched or domed roof is essential as no flat-roofed structure
can withstand the weight of an average hailstorm. The angle of pitch should
be at least 30 degrees to the horizontal.
In regions where high
winds occur, the shadehouse should be closed in on all sides with a maximum
55% shade cloth angled at 45 degrees. This will deflect wind over the
shadehouse, minimizing damage to crops and the structure itself
but you must pay particular attention to your anchors and supports - one
strong gust of wind is sufficient to uproot insubstantial anchoring systems.
The
type of plant or crop to be grown will determine
the density of shadecloth to be used.
If tractors and implements
are to be used inside the shadehouse, remember to make allowance for access,
tractor exhaust clearance and turning space. A suspension type structure
is ideal because few internal support poles are used.
Remember also to make
allowance for attaching and supporting overhead irrigation systems if
you plan to install them.
As you will discover
in the examples which follow, we recommend the use of treated timber,
galvanized steel wire and standard cables in the construction
of most shadehouses. This is because these materials are readily available,
easy to work with on site without special tools or skills and are relatively
inexpensive compared with steel-framed structures.
But beware of false
economy! Don't skimp and don't take shortcuts. Always satisfy yourself
that the shadehouse is correctly built for the site, the climatic conditions
and the type of operation. A structure built to last saves you expensive
repairs and even replacements in the long run. Correctly installed and
erected, Alnet shadecloth should last at least six years under conditions
of harsh ultraviolet light, hail or wind and even longer in more moderate
conditions.
Other
building projects:
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