-
Advice on suspending a banner?
Hi guys, I wondered if you can give me any advice.
Had a bit of a mare last night, we fitted up a 30′ x 4′ banner last nigh across a high street, the banner was double sided (x2 banners stuck together) and cable tied with heavy duty ties to the existing cable system.
We managed to get the banner installed, lowered the cherry picker and whoosh, a gust of wind hit it and tore the eyelets out on all four corners.
We had to take the whole banner down and it appears theres no re-enforcements in the corners of the banner (i.e the banner folded over on its self before the eye letting.)
I have been in-touch with the company who wielded the banner for us and they have offered to wield another for free (never mind the fact its now cost £700 in hiring a cherry picker twice)
Anyway, as I’m starting it again from scratch, does anyone else have experience in these? any suggestions as to how I can avoid this?
Thanks in advance
-
10 Replies
-
Just a quick question Richard…Did you have planning permission to put the banner up?
Matt
-
Cable ties should not be used for something like this. (Please tell me you just didnt just have 4 cable ties) Two methods of fixing that work well, the suspension cable is threaded through the hem, or hemmed and eyelets with shaclkes to the cables top and bottom.
A banner that size will have a hell of a wind force, and should have wind release pockets or be made from mesh. you will also need some method to tension the banner longitudinally, this is not a job that should be done without knowing what you are doing.
Normally the council will have stringent rules for stringing a banner across a street, Who would be responsible if the banner broke free and killed someone?
Peter -
Matt, yes the banner itself is for the Council.
-
Peter.
Thanks for the response, this is the whole reason I subbed out the preparation of the banner and of the installation, the banner is only up for a week so the tensioning isn’t an issue over a period of time, the fitters were using some pretty heavy duty cable ties, (through eyelets every foot) but like you say, if there is an element of risk involved I will use the shackles./
I will have to run the banner again so will take into account the wind pockets ane fitting method.
The problem with teh mesh is that by the time the banner is stuck together, the white backing from the other back of the other side will just leak through.
-
Richard regardless of the length of time the banner is up, you will still need a tensioning system so that the banner can "give" under wind loading.
Peter
-
What do you mean by ‘shackles’ Peter and what tensioning system do you use.
-
Sorry Richard but I totally agree with Peter.
Big job with loads of risks. Cable ties on a 30′ banner? NO WAY!
Surely the Council would have had their own risk assessment?
Matt
-
Thanks for coming back to me guys.
I have really shot myself in the foot with this, the idea was to just print it, sub the finishing of the banner, sub the fitting and take something off it, now i’m running the banner twice, paying twice for the install and twice for the picker.
The cables are set across the street with the top one being taught, the cable for teh bottom of the banner is loose (about 5′ deep in teh middle as opposed to teh 4′ at the ends.
As I understand this takes the tension from the wind?
I also found this online for the details on Shackles and wind pockets.
-
quote Harry Cleary:What do you mean by ‘shackles’ Peter and what tensioning system do you use.
These things harry
http://www.bannerbox.co.uk/accessories.phpI have used steel springs as tensioners but cant remember where I got them from, I’m sure it was a banner suppplier though they are a coil spring but can only compress so far then become solid.
Peter
-
quote Matty Goodwin:Sorry Richard but I totally agree with Peter.Big job with loads of risks. Cable ties on a 30′ banner? NO WAY!
Surely the Council would have had their own risk assessment?
Matt
Have you considered a truss bridge, opposed to trying to tie into stuctures at either side, this may sound expensive, but it eliminates a lot of the issues mentioned in prior posts, the weight loading is spread evenly and no need for cherry picker the whole job can be done on the ground and then raised up , similar to marathon race start and finish lines and the fixing point at the top of the banner can then be evenly spaced at foot points, with a catenery line on the bottom edge, using turn buckles at either ends to give tension as required, a good rigging company could have this up in fours hours tops.
Log in to reply.