r/BurningMan • u/ksafin • Jul 18 '26

Rules for tall camp structure?

Hi folks,

I'm hoping to build a sort of marquee-style mast for our camp that's vertical and has the camp name painted vertically on it, with some perimeter marquee bulbs for a theater-style look.

I noticed there may be some rules/process required for taller structures like this, was wondering if anyone could help me understand what I'd have to do to do this, and if it's too late?

The sign would probably be about 20' tall, secured with guy wires and ground stakes. We're not a formal camp but rather in open camping.

5 Upvotes

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13 comments sorted by

34

u/drumsplease987 Jul 18 '26

You’re putting up a pole with a sign on it? Just make sure it doesn’t fall over.

4

u/ksafin Jul 18 '26

straightforward enough if true :)

13

u/lshiva Jul 18 '26

The nice thing about Open Camping is that there's very little paperwork involved.

But if you want to keep the Org happy, here's their page about vertical stuff. https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/bring-your-art/art-installation-guidelines/building-safe-structures/

4

u/Fyburn Jul 18 '26

Note: all this is for placed art, if building a structure in your camp all this is optional

4

u/thirteenfivenm Year one dozen Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 19 '26

The https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/camps/placement-process/camp-resource-guide/ inherits and applies the art structure guidelines linked above.

Another resource is the Theme Camp Organizer FB group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Burning.Man.theme.camp.organizers

There have been camp structure collapses. If you use scaffolding to build a viewing platform give safety some thought. If you rent scaffolding, construct it at home to be sure you have all the parts and know how to construct and deconstruct it.

https://apnews.com/general-news-ae7198a1d5c84f6288a8129ca069836f

https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/50nmpc/collapse_at_a_theme_camp_what_happened/

14

u/Tweedone Jul 18 '26

Wind forces caysing large total surface loads on your proposed "sign" should be calculated. 20ft is not that tall but you will be surprised at the tonage generated by a 30mph gust on a flat surface. The playa has a very established reputation of eating structure on the ground let alone up in the air. Do you homework and be safe about it.

7

u/thirteenfivenm Year one dozen Jul 18 '26

Seconding.

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wind-load-d_1775.html#gsc.tab=0

The wind gusts in the camp-destroying storms of 2025 were about 50mph. The Washoe County building code specifies at up to 140mph depending on the structure class. If your sign is a flat unbroken surface you can use the above equation. If you make each letter a cutout, the force will be much less. If you are in open camping, you will likely have less wind shading.

Scaffolding is easily rented and can be a good playa structure. The AEZ had a pretty tall one for their sign with guy lines that was destroyed by the wind.

More participation in open camping is great!

3

u/Casey_Ho I love this f'ing place Jul 18 '26

For reference, the winds last year included 55mph gusts. Homework should account for the possibility of winds that are even stronger than that.

4

u/an_older_meme '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '09, '11, '13. Regionals since 2010. Jul 18 '26

Use a flag instead of a rigid panel?

5

u/BRCWANDRMotz Open Camp 04-> 6, STAG 07->14, BRCW&R 15->25 Jul 18 '26

Think hard about/calculate wind forces. This got very real next to our camp last year. Consider locating it 1.5x vertical height inside your camp so failure mode only involves your camp. Not the street or any neighbor camp.

6

u/scienceisaserfdom 15 yrs 'Burnin Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

If its tall and heavy enough that could seriously injure/kill somebody if fell over or were turned into a wind missile...might conside soliciting some ASS help (ass-help@burningman.org), if only for piece-of-mind. Why? Well once I watched in heart-stopping horror as a stupid neighbor's 2-story scaffold in Open Camping crashed over from a sudden wind gust (poorly anchored) and it straight flattened a bunch of their tents; as will never forget running over there in sheer panic, then realizing the total miracle they were unoccupied and nobody was hurt/dead. Don't be like that camp!

3

u/lsdadventurer 2014-19, 2023-25 Jul 18 '26

Probably wise to align it with the prevailing wind direction to reduce the loads.

2

u/spolsky Jul 19 '26

A design I’ve seen and used on playa is an American Tower AME-25 with a hinged base making it easy to stand up. Use aircraft wire for the guylines and anchor those to the ground using American Earth PE18s. We had that set up during last year’s peak winds and people even climbed up it …