Aztec tents Qwik-top frame User manual

QWIK-TOP®FRAME

PRODUCT MANUAL

If YOU can IMAGINE it... WE can BUILD it

www.aztectent.com

This tent product is not intended to be used

as a shelter from severe weather. Evacuate

immediately if threatening weather occurs

(or is forecasted) or any condition arises

concerning the safe use of this product.

Threatening weather includes electrical

storm systems, moderate to high wind

(excess of 38mph), heavy rains, snow, or

any condition that raises any doubt to the

structural integrity of the tent

The installation of electrical, plumbing, lighting,

appliances and/or HVAC equipment are not covered

within this manual. Users/Installers shall follow

local code requirements for the installation of these

items using certiﬁed personnel. AztecTents shall be

indemniﬁed and held harmless from any such use or

injury resulting from its use.

Proper personnel safety equipment should be worn at all times

during the installation of any tenting products.

Hard Hat

Safety Glasses

Work Gloves

Long Pants

SteelToe Boots

OSHA Approved Harness and restraint system (for off

ground activities)

Important Safety Information



!

www.aztectent.com

Thank you for your recent purchase from Aztec Tents.The following procedures will help you through your installation. If

you ever run into problems with the installation of your AztecTent give one of our sales/service professionals a call. Other

product speciﬁc information, contact information, diagrams, and other operational support is available on our web site at

www.aztectents.com.

General Care & Guidelines

General Fabric Care & Maintenance 4

General Hardware Care & Maintenance 5

Fabric Flame Retardant Information 5

Anchoring 5

Pre-Installation Guidelines 6

General Installation Guidelines 6

Post Installation Guidelines- Maintenance 6

Safety & Evacuation Planning 7

GeneralTake Down/Removal Guidelines 7

Special Care for Unsupported Clear Fabric 7

Other Resources 8

Tools Required for Installation 8

Optional Items & Accessories Available 8

Installation Procedure 9-15

Diagrams 16-25

Parts Images 26-27

Engineering Speciﬁcations 28-29

Replacement Parts 30

Questions? Call us.

Aztec Tents

2665 Columbia Street

Torrance, CA 90503 USA

Direct (310) 347-3010

Toll Free (800) 228-3687

Fax (310) 381-0722

Contents

www.aztectent.com

General Fabric Care & Maintenance

The vinyl fabric developed for this tent system requires speciﬁc attention during installation, cleaning, and storage to maintain its

maximum life span. Please follow the following care and maintenance guidelines provided for this product.

GROUND CLOTHS:The usage of ground covering material under the tent during installation and dismantle will protect the tent fabric

from soiling and from minor surface abrasions. A ground cloth can also help keep the tent top dry if the ground surface ( i.e. dirt, grass,

etc.) is wet during the installation or dismantle.

MILDEWTREATMENT: The fabric is pretreated with mildew inhibitors that help prevent the growth and spreading of mildew and

fungus. Although treated, proper care should be given to prevent potential growth. If you see mildew wipe it away immediately with a

clean towel and diluted soap solution. Never fold your fabric for storage if the fabric is even slightly wet. Mold/Mildew spores in the air

and on the ground will come in contact with the fabric while installed.To grow, all the mildew needs is moisture and some source of

food (often found in dirt that might be on the tent).Your best bet is to keep your fabric clean and dry to prevent mildew growth.

FABRIC CLEANING:The best way to clean the vinyl tent fabric is with a soft towel or soft bristled brush immersed in a diluted solution

of warm water and our tent cleaning solution. A diluted and mixed solution of a tablespoon of traditional dish soap with a gallon of

warm water will also work, but extra caution should be placed on insuring that this cleaning solution is thoroughly rinsed from the

fabric especially with clear vinyls (See special notes on working with clear vinyls).

You will need a large, smooth, ﬂat space slightly larger than the section of fabric. This space should be covered with a ground

protecting layer to avoid damaging the tent membrane when moving in the washing area. Small impediments, sharp objects and

rough surfaces all have the potential to damage the membrane you are trying to clean.

Follow the instructions for the proper dilution ratio of your cleaning product. Apply the diluted solution directly to the fabric using

1) a towel immersed in the solution, or 2) a spray bottle or larger pressurized spraying apparatus to evenly cover the fabric with the

solution. Let this sit on the fabric for about one minute to allow the mixture to penetrate the fabric. Using a soft towel or soft bristled

polypropylene brush (some can be mounted to a long handle to allow you to stand while working), gently work the cleaner into

the fabric using only mild pressure. While harder bristled brushes can work, they will end up microscopically scratching the fabric,

potentially permanently damaging the fabric and making it harder to clean the next time. The process of hand cleaning the fabric will

allow you to apply only enough diluted solution to get the fabric clean.This will help limit the amount of water placed on the fabric to

expedite drying time. Never allow the tent cleaner to dry on the fabric. For this reason, larger tents might be better to clean in sections.

Once the cleaning is complete be sure to rinse away any cleaning solution completely from the tent membrane.

Full immersion of the fabric in water is not recommended.The use of commercial front loading or top loading washing machines is

not recommended and will void the warranty of the fabric. These machines cause an excessive amount of stress to the fabric and can

force water into the fabric causing increased occurrences of mildew growth and shorten the life of the fabric. As with any cleaning, the

fabric should be hung to dry completely before folding and storage. Cleaners that include chlorine bleach, and/or any petroleum based

solvents will degrade the fabric, discolor the fabric and shorten its life span.

If you have a difﬁcult stain that cannot be removed with traditional cleaning, please consult with your sales person before trying any

other chemicals that might end up damaging the material further. Do not use other chemicals or cleaners unless instructed by your

sales professional.

FABRIC DRYING:The best way to dry the vinyl tent fabric is to hang-dry in a low humidity environment. Circulating air around

the surface of the hanging fabric with the use of fans will also speed the drying process and improve drying time in more humid

environments. Please also assure that subassemblies and other components within the tent system are dry before folding.These

subassemblies can be reinforcements, lace lines, webbing, rope, thread, and/or any other part that is permanently afﬁxed to the main

tent membrane.The use of commercial drying equipment and any drying using heat will void the warranty of the fabric. DO NOT

STOREYOUR FABRIC WET. Fabric folded and stored wet will mildew.

TENSIONING: Do not over tension your tent fabric during installation, use, or removal. Over tensioning can cause permanent damage

to the tent membrane.The most obvious sign of over tensioning would be stress wrinkles at the tension points. Be sure to conﬁrm that

your frame/pole components match the tent design. In cases where the ground is not level, over tensioning is possible by trying to

force the tent to dimension.

STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS:The fabric for the tent system shall be stored dry in a cool, dry place in the protective storage

bags included with your purchase. Other types of bags are acceptable as long as they can protect the fabric from the environmental

elements of the storage area.

INSPECTION: Prior to each use, each component of the tent system needs to be thoroughly inspected to assure its structural stability

has not been compromised. Fabric components that are ripped, torn, frayed, or damaged shall be immediately replaced and not used.

Structural components of the fabric membrane are the most critical including but not limited to the main fabric membrane, structural

reinforcements and webbing, web termination plates/rings/fasteners, and connection points from fabric panel to fabric panel or

connection points between the fabric panel and the hardware support system.

www.aztectent.com

General Hardware Care & Maintenance

The hardware components developed for this tent system requires speciﬁc attention during installation, cleaning, and storage to

maintain its maximum life span. Please follow the following care and maintenance guidelines provided for this product.

OXIDATION:The hardware components for this tent system have been supplied to you with specialty coatings to help limit oxidation.

With usage, these coatings will need to be maintained in order to limit oxidation and for the product reach its full intended lifespan.

With plated or powder coated steel components, any rust should be removed immediately with a stiff wire brush and sprayed with

either a galvanizing spray or durable paint to seal the steel from the elements. Anodized aluminum components will get scratched over

time and these scratched areas can develop a thin black oxidation common with mill ﬁnish aluminum.This black oxidation can cause

staining to any fabric components that come in contact with the pole/component.Your best preventative measure will be to avoid

scratching of the anodized coating by avoiding any sharp edges that might be come in contact with the aluminum member.

HARDWARE CLEANING: It is very important to keep your hardware components clean and free of dirt, oxidation, and other chemicals

especially if those hardware components come into contact with any fabric components during installation, use, or take-down of your

product. Any dirt, oxidation, or chemical on the surface of the hardware member can transfer the contaminant to the fabric causing

permanent staining, or permanent damage to the fabric membrane. If hardware components are found to be soiled, wipe down

immediately to remove the foreign matter.

STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS:The hardware for the tent system shall be stored dry in a cool, dry place. Anodized aluminum

component can be stored outside, but should be covered to prevent foreign matter from collecting on the components that might stain

or damage the fabric membrane during installation or use. Any/all steel components shall be stored indoors in a dry/low humidity

environment.

INSPECTION: Prior to and after each use, each component of the tent system needs to be thoroughly inspected to assure its structural

stability has not been compromised. Hardware components that are bent, cracked, frayed, or damaged shall be immediately replaced

and not used. Speciﬁc attention should be paid toward any devices used for anchoring including ratchets, ropes, cables, and web

straps.

Fabric Flame Retardancy

All vinyl fabric used in the production of our tents, walls, and accessories are certiﬁed ﬂame retardant per NFPA 701 and the California

State Fire Marshal.These vinyl products are produced so that they are inherently ﬂame retardant, and thus will never require additional

applications of ﬂame retardant chemicals.

Every section of fabric produced by AztecTents contains a label identifying its ﬂame resistance characteristics and date produced.This

label matches a hard copy of the ﬂame certiﬁcate that is mailed to you after receipt of your goods.

If at any time you need to be issued a duplicate ﬂame certiﬁcate, you can request one from our customer service representatives.

Please be sure to have the invoice number and date of production available when requesting duplicate ﬂame certiﬁcates.

Anchoring

All anchoring locations must be laid out accurately as described in the manual and diagrams contained within (in advance of laying

out the fabric) to a tolerance of +/_ 4” in any direction (right or left, forward or back, up or down, etc.) All column base locations must

be laid out to a tolerance of +/- 3” in any direction for any standard supported tents and within a tolerance of +/-.5” for any product

utilizing keder channels.

A wide variety of ground anchoring devices are commonly used. Soil conditions and resulting ground anchor holding capacities vary

from site to site, and can vary within a particular site.The Owner and/or Installer of the tent is fully responsible for assuring that the

selection and installation of the anchoring devices is adequate to resist the pull out loads speciﬁed in the product manual.

Reduced anchor performance can occur under wet soil conditions and needs to be accounted for. Care should be taken that water is not

allowed to drain or collect near anchors.

Anchoring device holding capacity can be developed using a single large device, or by using multiple smaller devices.

Ensure that the anchors installed are adequate to resist the pull out loads shown. Actual testing of some individual anchors to 75% of

the anchor pull-out load is recommended.

Additional installation and anchoring information entitled “The IFAI Procedural Handbook ForThe Safe Installation And Maintenance Of

Tentage” is published by theTent Rental Division of the Industrial Fabric Association International (IFAI).

www.aztectent.com

General Installation Guidelines

Each component of the tent should be inspected at the beginning of installation for visual signs of damage by the installer. All damaged

materials should be repaired or replaced immediately.

The weather should be carefully considered by the Owner and/or the Installer before raising the tent since the hardware and fabric

cannot transmit design wind loads or shed rainwater loads (potential ponding) when it is not fully anchored, installed, and/or

tensioned. It is recommended that installation or removal of the fabric members be informed when the wind speed is less than 15 mph.

The decision to raise or lower the fabric of the tent should be the responsibility of the experienced rental tent installation supervisor

based upon conservative life safety considerations and judgement.

Adequate and appropriate installation and maintenance procedures are necessary to achieve and sustain full design load capability for

the tent.The Owner and/or Installer are fully responsible for assuring that the tent is properly installed and maintained.

Certiﬁcation of this tent structure is valid only with the use of Aztec Tent supplied and assured components or those which meet or

exceed the requirements of the design throughout the installation of this structure, with the exception of the anchoring devices which

must be determined by the installation engineer.

Post Installation Guidelines/ Maintenance

Each component of the tent should be inspected at the end of installation for visual signs of damage by the installer. Additionally, an

inspection should be performed after any severe weather/wind events that might have affected the overall integrity of the design.

All damaged materials should be repaired or replaced immediately.

A variety of material and weather factors can result in fabric stretch, web belt stretch, rope stretch, mast base settling, changes to

design geometry, etc. Changes to the design geometry of the tent and consequently the structural performance characteristics of

the tent, can occur while the tent is in service and not attended by the professional installer. It is recommended that a maintenance

agreement be arranged between the Client/User of the tent and the Installer involving periodic inspections and adjustments.

If rainwater ponding occurs at any point on the fabric, evacuate the tent, remove the water, and adjust the tie back rope/web prestress

tension and/or fabric tensioning over the frame back to its design geometry to achieve positive drainage.

It is understood and expected that some damage to the fabric membrane and/or non structural components may occur in conditions

below the overall design wind velocity rating of the tent system.This damage may result in components requiring repair or

replacement as necessary.

Pre-Installation Guidelines

Correct ﬁeld installation of this tent system requires diligence and considerable skill and expertise which can be obtained only through

the proper ﬁeld training and experience of a professional rental tent supervised installation crew.This is instrumental to obtaining the

optimal structural behavior of the tent.

- Obtain any required permits or inspections needed by local codes and regulations.

- Clear the site to prepare for the planned activity.

- Check for sub grade utilities before installing any anchoring devices.

- Check for any overhead obstructions that might interfere with the tent installation. Do not install any tent within 50’ of any overhead

utilities, power lines, or other obstructions. Installation under or within close proximity to trees should be avoided.

- Locate the public circulation routs with clearance from anchors around the exterior of the site. Identify clearly.

- Use drop cloths to prevent soiling or damaging the fabric membrane.

- Pad and tape objects with sharp projections which will remain on site under the tent.

- Cover any sharp edges on anchoring devices with protective material

www.aztectent.com

Safety & Evacuation Planning

It is the responsibility of the Owner and/or the Installer to warn the User and or Occupants of the tent system that this product is not

intended to be used as a shelter from severe weather. Aztec assumes no liability for such use. An evacuation and communication plan

for the area covered within this tented space is imperative and shall be thoroughly communicated to all users and potential occupants

of the tent. Severe weather including electrical storm systems, moderate to severe wind, heavy rains, snow, or any condition that raises

any doubt to the structural integrity of the tent are immediate signs that an evacuation is necessary. Severe bodily injury and/or death

can occur. A best practices document published by the American Rental Association covering this topic can be downloaded at:

http://aztectent.com/webfm_send/151

Common signs that warrant the immediate evacuation of this tent:

- Any movement, displacement, or failure of any of the anchoring devices or support hardware.

- Any component failure in part or whole

- Any tear or puncture in the fabric membrane

- Any forecasted moderate to severe weather condition

- Any collection or accumulation of snow or ice on the tent

- Strong winds causing movement and/shifting of the tent or tent support structure

- Strong winds causing small branches to be ripped from trees

- Any lightning or electrical storms

- Hail or frozen precipitation any larger that pea size

- Any ﬁre or smoke within close proximity of the tent

- Any small of gas, exhaust, or other odor from any combustible material

In the event of forecasted sever weather, hurricane, or other such early warning, it is recommended to immediately evacuate the tent

and time permitting take down the tent and remove from the site.

General Take Down/ Removal Guidelines

The weather should be carefully considered by the Owner and/or the Installer before lowering the tent since the hardware and

fabric cannot transmit design wind loads or shed rainwater loads (potential ponding) when it is not fully anchored, installed, and/or

tensioned. It is recommended that installation or removal of the fabric members be informed when the wind speed is less than 15 mph.

The decision to raise or lower the fabric of the tent should be the responsibility of the experienced rental tent installation supervisor

based upon conservative life safety considerations and judgement.

Unless otherwise noted in the procedures that follow, the removal of this tent system shall follow the same procedures outlined but in

the reverse order.

Once unassembled, each component of the system should be inspected for any signs of visual damage by the installer. All damaged

materials should be marked or identiﬁed so that repair or replacement of these materials can occur prior to the next use of the product.

Special Care For Unsupported Clear Fabric

The clear fabric used in window style sidewalls, clear sidewalls, and clear tent tops needs to be managed differently than standard

tent fabric. Polyester scrim is what gives standard tent fabric its strength, stability and durability. Laminated tent fabric enjoys the

beneﬁt of encasing this woven layer of rip-stop polyester between the layers of colored vinyl ﬁlm. Clear vinyl does not enjoy those

beneﬁts. Because of this, clear vinyl has a very low tolerance to ultra violet ray exposure, wind, airborne particulate matter, hot or cold

temperatures, elasticity due to wind and rain and handling. Any or all of these factors will cause clear fabric to under perform when

compared to traditional tent fabric.

Special attention should be paid to the cleaning of these items. Use only the softest towels when cleaning the clear membrane to avoid

scratching the highly polished surface, and wipe dry to avoid water spots. Use standard diluted tent cleaning solution. DO NOT USE

OTHER CHEMICALS.

Exposure to ultra violet rays for an extended amount of time as will occur with time over the life of the product, will cause the fabric

to appear milky or opaque. Putting away and storing damp or wet clear vinyl will result in an amber hue in the clear ﬁlm. Steady

wind can whip clear vinyl back and forth and cause surface or through cracks in the fabric. Heat in excess of Eighty-ﬁve degrees can

cause clear vinyl to change shape, bubble, shrink or stretch. Although our clear vinyl has a cold crack rating of minus ﬁfteen degrees

Fahrenheit, that rating is for a static environment. Any introduction of wind or manipulation by handling will cause failure (cracking like

glass) at nominal temperatures above freezing. Airborne particulate matter will abrade the surface and cause the ﬁnish to become less

translucent.

Clear tent tops are also very susceptible to water ponding as they are highly elastic. If rain is forecasted during the use of these

products it is recommended to take additional precautions and more frequent inspections throughout the duration of the rainfall to

inspect for potential ponding on the roof fabric. If rainwater ponding occurs at any point on the fabric, evacuate the tent, remove the

water, and adjust the tie back rope/web prestress tension and/or fabric tensioning over the frame back to its design geometry to achieve

positive drainage.

www.aztectent.com

Other Resources

American Rental Association- www.ararental.org

Tent Rental Division ofThe Industrial Fabric Association International- www.tentexperts.org

Tools Required for Installation

Sledge Hammer For driving anchoring stakes

Canopy Jacks For lifting Frame

Drop Cloths For protecting fabric membrane

8’ Ladder General installation tool

Utility Knife General installation tool

Tape Measure General installation tool

Marking Paint/Chalk Used to mark anchoring locations and tent boundaries

Optional Items & Accessories Available

Side Wall Panels To enclose walls of tent

Raingutters To collect and divert water away from connecting tent entrances

Decorative Liners To add decorative look and hide most rafter framework

Canopy Doors To add easily accessible means of egress to and from the tent

Additional Anchors Additional anchors used to secure the tent system

www.aztectent.com

The following installation procedure follows the step-by-step process

for a 40’ wide x 80’ long Qwik-top frame tent. Although smaller widths

do not have as many components the basic step-by-step procedure can

be applied to all Qwik-top frame tents.The basic fundamentals include;

building roof framework, place fabric cover over frame, lift & install

legs on one side of tent frame, lift and install legs on opposing side of

frame, install tiebacks/anchoring system, install any sidewall, ﬁnally

tighten the tent fabric to the base plates.

Step 1:

Assemble the starting arch. For tents smaller than 30’ wide connect and

pin the side tee to the rafter pole, connect and pin the crown ﬁtting, the

opposing rafter pole and opposing side tee. For 30’ wide and 40’ wide

widths the perimeter ﬁtting at this location would be a “Special Side

Tee”. See speciﬁc frame diagrams for correct pipe sizes. Once the main

arch is assembled on the ground, place the large loop of the assembly

cable over a perimeter arm of the tee ﬁtting and stretch the cable across

the tent to loop over the perimeter arm of the opposing tee or special

side tee ﬁtting.

Step 2:

Rotate this beam arch into a vertical position and hold into place

Step3:

Connect and pin the end rafter to the crown ﬁtting and connect and pin

the side tee (or special side tee for 30’ and 40’ wide tents) along the

perimeter of the tent.

Step 4:

Begin assembling the hip end of one side of the tent. Connect and pin

the hip rafter pipe to the crown ﬁtting. For 20’ wide and smaller units

this pipe will extend to the corner of the frame. For 30’ wide tents the

hip rafter will also extend to the corner but you will also need to slide

the 30’ Slide Hip Intermediate ﬁtting to the midpoint of this frame

pipe.This ﬁtting can lock into place by turning the thumb screw under

the bottom of the ﬁtting. For the 40’ wide system the hip rafter is

constructed with two 14’4” pipe with the 40’ Hip Intermediate ﬁtting as

a connector in the center of this span.

www.aztectent.com

Step 5:

Connect and pin the hip brace pipes.These are only used on 30’ wide

and 40’ wide units. Connect ﬁrst at the hip intermediate ﬁtting, then

connect and pin to the special side tee at the bottom of your primary

beam arch. For 20’ wide and smaller tent sizes, proceed to step #7.

Step 6:

The 40’ wide tent has a secondary set of hip brace pipes measuring

10’6”. Connect and pin these to the 40x hip intermediate ﬁtting, then

connect and pin the side tee at the eave of the tent.

Step 7:

Connect and pin the perimeter/eave pipes to the perimeter ﬁttings.

Make all connections with the ﬁnal connection to the corner ﬁttings of

the frame.

Step 8:

Connect and pin the ﬁrst ridge pipe to the end crown of the tent frame.

www.aztectent.com

Step 9:

Connect and pin an additional set of rafter pipes to the top tee ﬁtting

at the end of your ﬁrst ridge pipe. For 40’ wide tents you will also need

to slide the 40x Slide intermediate ﬁtting half way up each rafter and

secure from sliding by tightening the thumb screw on the underside of

the ﬁtting. Additionally, install the assembly cable by placing the large

loop of the assembly cable over a perimeter arm of the tee ﬁtting and

stretch the cable across the tent to loop over the perimeter arm of the

opposing tee or special side tee ﬁtting.This process will continue for

each additional beam arch that you construct.

Step 10:

For 40’ wide tents you will now connect and pin the 14’4” rafter

diagonal brace pipe to ﬁrst the 40x Slide Intermediate ﬁtting then to the

special tee on the eave of the tent. Once that is completed on both side

of the tent, and for all smaller tents you will install the eave pipes to the

eave ﬁttings and pin into place.

Step 11:

Continue building extensions to the frame by adding additional ridge

pipe, top tee ﬁttings, diagonal braces (as needed by size), and perimeter

pipes. Connect and pin each of these connections as you work down

the frame.

Step 12:

Add an additional set of rafter pipes to complete the next beam arch

and install the assembly cable to span from eave ﬁtting to eave ﬁtting.

www.aztectent.com

Step 13:

Continue building additional extensions in the same manner until you

reach your last main beam arch.This arch will utilize a 6 way crown to

allow connection of the opposing hip end framing for the remaining

portion of the tent frame.

Step 14:

Start building the hip end frame by connecting and pinning the end

rafter pipe to the 6pt Crown ﬁtting.

Step 15: