Code of Maine Rules › 16 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY › 219 - OFFICE OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL › Chapter 27 - RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE TENTS AND EQUIPMENT OF CIRCUSES AND TRAVELING AMUSEMENT SHOWS (REPEALED) › Section 219-27-02 - Structural Requirements

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. All supporting
				members shall be of sufficient size and strength to support the
				structure.
B. Tents shall be
				adequately guyed, supported and braced to withstand a wind pressure or suction
				of ten (10) pounds per square foot. The poles and their supporting guys, stays,
				stakes, fastenings, etc., shall be of sufficient strength and attached so as to
				resist wind pressure of twenty (20) pounds per square foot of projected area of
				the tent.
C. Grandstands shall be
				designed to support, in addition to their own weight, a uniformly distributed
				live load of not less than one hundred (100) pounds per square foot of gross
				horizontal projection of the grandstand. All seats and foot-board members shall
				be designed for live loads of not less than one hundred twenty (120) pounds per
				linear foot.
D. Grandstands shall
				be designed to resist, without live load, a horizontal wind load of thirty (30)
				pounds per square foot of all vertical projections of the stand, and with full
				live load, one-half of such wind load.
E. Grandstands shall be designed to resist a
				horizontal swaying force applied to the seats in a direction parallel to the
				length of the seats, of twenty-four (24) pounds per linear foot of seats, and
				in a direction perpendicular to the length of the seats of ten (10) pounds per
				linear foot of seats.
F. Portable
				grandstands shall be provided with base plates, sills, floor runners, or
				sleepers, of such area that the total live and dead load shall not exceed
				fifty-five (55) pounds per square inch on base plates, sills, floor runners, or
				sleepers. When portable grandstands rest directly on earth of such character as
				to be incapable of supporting the load without appreciable settlement, mud
				sills of suitable material, having sufficient area to prevent undue or
				dangerous settlement, shall be installed under base plates, runners, or
				sleepers. All bearing surfaces shall be in contact.
G. A-frames, or other supports, and seat
				stringers for portable grandstands shall be secured to prevent accidental
				displacement during occupancy.
H.
				Field connections to wood members shall be by means of rivets, bolts, approved
				connectors, friction or other devices, or lag screws, except that lag screws
				shall not be permitted for direct tension. The use of nails and wood screws is
				permissible for holding wood parts together, except that these shall not be
				used for demountable joinings, nor shall these be used where their loosening or
				splitting of surrounding wood would jeopardize the structure or its occupants.
				Wood members in tension shall be connected at each end by means of not less
				than two bolts, rivets, or lag screws, or by approved connectors, or approved
				devices. Adequate provision shall be made to prevent the splitting or shearing
				of wood at such connections.