Project Background

This project came from a stage-construction company working on a large concert setup.

On both sides of the main stage, the surrounding Ringlock structure included passageways leading from the backstage preparation area toward the performance stage.

These passages had to remain open for performers and technical staff.

But leaving them completely exposed created two practical problems:

• people moving between backstage and the stage needed rain protection;

• the passage needed a more clearly defined and enclosed route through the surrounding temporary structure.

The customer therefore wanted to add a roofed temporary enclosure inside each reserved Ringlock opening.

The required passage was approximately:

4 m wide × 6 m deep.

At first, the customer's idea was not to use a tent.

They wanted us to build another custom aluminum structure.

The Original Idea Came From an Existing FOH Booth

The customer had seen an aluminum built-in FOH / booth-style structure that we had used in other temporary event configurations.

Their reasoning was understandable:

If an aluminum booth can be built inside or together with a larger event structure, why not use the same idea to create this 4 m × 6 m backstage passage?

Technically, the concept was workable.

We could have produced:

• an aluminum frame;

• a small pitched or covered roof;

• side enclosure;

• interfaces corresponding with the surrounding Ringlock structure.

So the problem was not that the customer's idea could not be manufactured.

The question was whether there was any reason to create a new custom structure when another existing product could already perform the same function.

That changed the direction of the proposal.

Our First Judgment: The Function Was More Important Than the Structure Type

We stepped away from the customer's proposed aluminum booth and looked again at what the passage actually needed to do.

Its functions were relatively simple:

1. provide a covered route;

2. protect performers and staff from rain;

3. provide side enclosure or visual separation where needed;

4. keep both ends open so people could walk through;

5. fit inside the approximately 4 m wide reserved opening.

Once the problem was described this way, it stopped looking like a special FOH structure.

It started looking much more like a small event tent with both ends open.

That was the turning point.

Option A — Build a Dedicated Aluminum Access Structure

The first option followed the customer's original thinking.

We could manufacture a dedicated aluminum framework specifically for the passage.

The advantage was that it could be designed around the Ringlock structure and the exact 4 × 6 m position.

But it also had a limitation:

it would essentially become a dedicated component for this particular backstage access arrangement.

In the configuration we had discussed, the aluminum booth-style structure would be integrated with the surrounding Ringlock position rather than functioning as a completely independent standard tent.

That reduced its flexibility for future events.

When the customer no longer needed this exact access passage, there would be fewer obvious alternative uses for the customized structure.

Option B — Adapt an Existing 4m-Wide Standard Tent

We already had another product that solved almost the same physical problem:

a 4 m wide aluminum A-frame event tent.

Our standard configuration included a 4 × 9 m aluminum A-frame tent.

Instead of designing a new access structure, we suggested:

Keep the standard 4 m tent width, shorten the required depth from 9 m to approximately 6 m, and remove the front and rear gable-wall covering so that people can walk straight through it.

The transformation was simple:

4 × 9 m standard event tent

↓

same basic tent system

↓

shorten depth to 6 m

↓

leave front and rear passage openings

↓

4 × 6 m backstage-to-stage channel tent

The original standard tent can be seen here:

4x9m Aluminum A-Frame Tent with Full Sidewalls

The broader DragonTruss tent range is also available under Event Tent Systems. The Tent page is registered in our internal link system as the general DragonTruss product entry for event tents.

Why the Standard Tent Was the Better Choice

The two solutions could perform a similar immediate function.

But they were not equally useful after this particular concert ended.

That was the main reason we recommended the tent.

1. It Could Work Independently

The dedicated FOH-style access frame was being considered as part of the Ringlock stage-side structure.

The tent did not depend on that same permanent relationship.

For this concert it could be positioned inside the reserved Ringlock passage.

For another event, it could be moved elsewhere and used as an independent small covered area.

That gave the customer more value from the same equipment.

2. It Was Already a Familiar Standard Product

The 4 m wide aluminum tent was not a completely new fabrication concept for us.

The production method, main structure and component system already existed.

Only the required length and enclosure arrangement needed to change.

From a manufacturing perspective, this meant we were adapting an existing product rather than developing another one-off structure.

That normally makes the production process more straightforward.

3. The Site Function Was Almost Exactly What a Tent Already Does

The customer's required structure needed:

• a roof;

• side protection;

• an open entrance;

• an open exit.

That is fundamentally what an A-frame tent can already provide.

There was little value in creating a more structurally elaborate product merely because the surrounding system happened to be Ringlock.

This is an important point in temporary-structure design:

The surrounding structure does not automatically determine the product that must be used inside it.

A Ringlock opening can contain a separate aluminum tent if the tent satisfies the actual functional requirement.

4. Future Reuse Was Better

This was especially important because the customer was a stage-building company.

Their equipment would not remain permanently in one venue.

After one concert, it would be dismantled and used again.

A 4 m aluminum tent can potentially be reused for:

• backstage shelter;

• equipment storage;

• staff working area;

• covered access;

• temporary preparation space;

• another event passage;

• a small independent event tent.

A highly project-specific access frame has fewer obvious future uses.

For a rental or staging company, that difference matters.

The Key Modification Was Very Small

The final solution did not require us to invent a new structural system.

We started from the existing 4 × 9 m standard tent and changed only what the application required.

The width remained:

4 m

The required depth became:

6 m

The normal enclosed ends were opened so that the tent could function as a passage.

Conceptually:

standard enclosed tent

became:

open-ended covered channel

That small change completely changed the application without requiring an entirely new product family.

This is a good example of the modular logic we often use with temporary event equipment: existing systems can sometimes solve new problems by changing configuration rather than changing the entire product. Readers interested in that broader principle can see Modular System Logic for Stage, Truss & Scaffold.

How the Final 4x6m Channel Tent Worked

The final tent was positioned within the passage intentionally left inside the larger Ringlock stage-side structure.

The functional route became:

Backstage Preparation Area

↓

4 m × 6 m Covered Channel Tent

↓

Main Stage

The Ringlock structure and the tent remained different systems.

The Ringlock provided the surrounding event structure.

The tent provided the covered circulation space.

[IMAGE – 4x6m Channel Tent installed inside the Ringlock structure]

Suggested caption: The final 4×6m aluminum Channel Tent installed inside the reserved passage of the larger Ringlock concert structure.

The completed product is available on DragonTruss here:

4x6m Channel Tent for Covered Backstage-to-Stage Access

That product page focuses on the tent configuration and supply information; this Case Study focuses on why we chose the tent instead of manufacturing the customer's original custom aluminum passage structure. The product source also confirms that the final 4×6m channel-tent concept was adapted from the existing 4×9m tent system.

What Actually Changed in the Proposal

The project evolution can be summarized very simply:

This is why I would not describe the final result simply as a “custom 4×6m tent.”

The most important part of the project was actually:

recognizing that the customer did not need a newly designed structure at all.

Why We Usually Prefer a Standard Product When It Can Do the Job

There is a common misunderstanding in custom temporary structures:

A customized project must always result in a customized product.

In practice, that is not necessarily the best result.

Sometimes a customer brings us an unusual application, but the most practical answer is still an existing product used differently.

From our manufacturing and project experience, standard products often have several advantages when they genuinely fit the application:

• manufacturing is more familiar;

• replacement components are easier to understand;

• installation logic is already established;

• fewer special components need to be managed;

• future reuse is easier;

• the customer's investment is not tied to only one project.

This does not mean we always avoid customization.

It means:

Customize only the part that actually needs to be different.

In this project, that meant changing the tent length and opening arrangement—not inventing a new temporary structure.

A Standard Product Can Sometimes Be More Flexible Than a Custom One

This project produced a useful paradox.

The custom aluminum access structure could have matched the exact project very closely.

But because it was developed specifically around that project, it would also have been more closely tied to that project.

The standard tent required less structural invention, yet gave the customer more options later.

That is why “custom” does not automatically mean “better.”

For an event rental or staging company, the better question is often:

How many future jobs can this component serve after the current job is finished?

That question influenced our recommendation strongly in this case.

What We Did Not Change

It is also important not to exaggerate the redesign.

We did not change:

• the 4 m clear-width requirement;

• the required approximately 6 m passage length;

• the need for rain protection;

• the backstage-to-stage circulation function;

• the surrounding Ringlock concert structure.

We changed only how that function was achieved.

The customer's functional requirement remained the same.

The product used to satisfy it changed.

That distinction is exactly why this belongs as a DragonStructure Case Study rather than simply another tent product page: DragonStructure Case Studies are meant to explain why a solution changed and how the final proposal emerged, rather than merely describing the final object.

Experience-Based Judgment vs. Engineering Verification

This project was primarily a functional configuration and product-selection decision, not a formal structural engineering analysis.

Confirmed from the project material

The supplied information confirms:

• the customer was a stage-construction company;

• the project involved a large concert structure;

• two passages were required between backstage preparation areas and the main stage;

• the passage needed rain protection and enclosure;

• the approximate passage requirement was 4 m wide × 6 m deep;

• the customer initially considered an aluminum FOH-style structure;

• an existing 4 m wide tent system was proposed instead;

• the standard reference tent was approximately 4 × 9 m;

• the final version used a 4 × 6 m configuration;

• the front and rear passage openings allowed it to function as a channel;

• the customer accepted the proposal.

Experience-based judgment

Our preference for the standard tent was based on practical manufacturing and event-equipment experience:

• a standard product is generally easier for us to manufacture than a one-off special structure;

• an independent tent offers more future-use scenarios;

• adapting an existing system can reduce unnecessary customization.

These are practical project judgments rather than engineering calculations.

What this case does not establish

The supplied project information does not provide verified:

• wind resistance;

• ballast or anchoring requirements;

• structural calculations;

• fire classification;

• emergency-route compliance;

• local code compliance;

• engineering approval.

Those requirements depend on the actual installation site and project conditions and must be confirmed separately where applicable.

This distinction is required by the DragonStructure evidence rules.

What This Case Shows

The most useful lesson from this project is not:

“A tent is better than an FOH booth.”

Both structures have their own applications.

The better lesson is:

Before designing a custom structure, ask whether an existing standard product already performs the same function.

The customer's initial idea was reasonable.

We could have built it.

But once we separated the function from the structure the customer had imagined, the solution became much simpler.

The project moved from:

“How do we customize an aluminum booth inside this Ringlock structure?”

to:

“What is the simplest reusable product that gives us a 4m-wide covered passage?”

Once the question changed, the standard tent became the obvious candidate.

And I think the most representative sentence from this project is:

We did not improve the project by designing more. We improved it by realizing that less customization was needed.

Planning a Covered Backstage-to-Stage Passage?

For a similar project, useful information includes:

• clear passage width;

• required passage length;

• required height;

• backstage location;

• main stage location;

• dimensions of the reserved Ringlock opening;

• whether sidewalls are required;

• whether front and rear openings must remain completely clear;

• photographs or drawings of the surrounding stage structure;

• indoor or outdoor use;

• whether the tent should also be reusable independently later.

If an existing tent size can be adapted, we will normally consider that before developing a completely new structure.

FAQ

Why didn't you build the custom aluminum access structure the customer originally requested?

The original concept was manufacturable, but after reviewing the actual function we found that a standard 4 m wide A-frame tent could provide the same covered-passage function with only a relatively small configuration change. It also gave the customer more opportunities for future reuse.

How was the 4×9m standard tent changed into the 4×6m Channel Tent?

The basic 4 m wide A-frame tent system was retained, while the required depth was reduced to approximately 6 m. The front and rear passage areas were left open so people could move between backstage and the main stage.

Is the Channel Tent structurally connected to the Ringlock system?

The project used the tent within the opening reserved in the larger Ringlock structure. The two should be understood as separate systems used together in the same event layout rather than automatically as one integrated structural system.

Why is an independent tent useful for a stage-building company?

Because after the concert it can potentially be used in other positions or for other temporary functions. This gives it more reuse value than a component designed only for one particular Ringlock passage.

Does using a standard tent mean no customization is required?

No. In this project the required depth and enclosure arrangement still changed. The principle was to customize only what the application required rather than redesign the entire structure.

Is the 4×6m size suitable for every backstage passage?

No. It was the confirmed configuration for this particular requirement. Other projects may need different width, length, height or enclosure arrangements according to the actual backstage and stage layout.