Custom software for inspecting grandstands and temporary structures
Each grandstand build is a different structure, even when it uses the same components. The ground, wind load and configuration all differ. A stand that stood safely on a sports ground last month can be a very different calculation on a quay with a crosswind. Yet in practice the inspection is often recorded as if it were the same object.
What is assessed during a build
For temporary grandstands, NEN-EN 13200-6 is the governing standard. Two points from it account for most of the on-site work: stability against overturning and anchoring to the ground. Both depend on where the structure stands, not on the equipment itself.
Every temporary structure that people will occupy needs a structural calculation demonstrating that it is safe for its intended use. That calculation is produced by a qualified structural engineer. For stages, grandstands and canopies, it is not a formality but the foundation on which everything else rests.
The municipality reviews those documents. Building and housing inspection looks at temporary grandstands, large marquees and similar structures, and inspectors check on site. Municipalities have their own policy rules for temporary structures at events, which means the same grandstand can be assessed slightly differently in two municipalities.
There are also inspections that have nothing to do with the structure but still end up in the same file, such as the electrical installation under NEN 3140. For the organiser this is one folder of documents; for the inspector these are separate responsibilities with their own data and their own people.
How we build this
The core is the build, not the equipment and not the event. A single grandstand may be erected ten times a year, each time in a different location, and each time it needs its own file.
Location, configuration, ground conditions and period together make up the build. The calculation, drawing and inspections all relate to it.
The structural calculation and drawing belong to this specific build, not to the type of grandstand. This shows clearly what approval was based on.
The inspector checks the points on the spot and records findings with a photo and position while the build can still be corrected.
What has been inspected, by whom and when, and which points remain open. That is the document the organiser and the municipality want to see.
What the software actually does
The construction file carries the whole. What else you need depends on your role and on how many structures are running at the same time.
File per structure
Each time a structure is erected somewhere, it gets its own file with its own documents and its own findings.
Calculation for the configuration
The calculation belongs to this structure and this ground. We link the document to the build it was made for.
Inspection checklists per structure type
A grandstand, a stage and a canopy each have their own points. The checklist belongs to the type, not to the inspector.
Findings with photos
A deviation is recorded with a photo, location and time, and given a status. That way you can follow whether it has been resolved before the public arrives.
Municipal requirements per location
Policy rules differ from one municipality to another. We make those requirements configurable per location instead of forcing them into a single fixed list.
Equipment history
Which components were used where and what has previously been noted about them. If there is any doubt about a beam or an integration, that is the trail.
Who we build for
Who carries out the inspection differs from project to project. Four situations.
Rental companies for grandstands and stages
They place the same equipment in different locations all the time, and it is in their interest that what has been checked is fixed for each erection.
Event builders
They build under time pressure and need the inspection at the moment something can still be done about it, not the day after.
Inspectors and inspection bodies
Those who inspect for several clients want one way of working and a file that can be accounted for later.
Municipalities and organisers
They assess documents and want to see that the structure was inspected at the place where it actually stands.
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Standards get revised, municipal policy rules differ and new structure types emerge. Checklists, requirements per location and statuses should be configurable and not hard-coded.
Why Appfront
The same grandstand is a different structure every time
Foundation, wind and configuration determine the outcome. That is why we build the file around the structure and not around the equipment.
Inspection only makes sense before the erection is finished
A finding entered the day after costs a rebuild. We build the recording for use at the build site itself.
Documents belong to the place
A calculation without the configuration it was made for tells you little. We link the document to the structure.
We do not inspect
The judgement remains with the inspector and the structural engineer. We ensure that what they establish is recorded and can be traced back.
Security and privacy
An inspection file contains calculations and drawings that are the company property of an engineer or a rental company, plus the names of the people who carried out the inspection. We set up access per role and per structure, give an organiser insight into the approval without the full equipment file, and log every access. Integrations run through secure links to your existing software.
For this subject, the reliability of the moment is the key point. A finding that has been updated after an incident is no longer an inspection. We record observations in an unalterable way with time, location and person, even when synchronisation takes place later, and any correction is shown as a visible correction alongside the original entry. How we handle security ourselves is set out in our information security policy.
Frequently asked questions about inspecting temporary structures
NEN-EN 13200-6 is the governing standard for temporary grandstands. In practice it mainly concerns stability against wind and anchoring to the ground, and those are exactly the points that differ from one location to another.
For temporary structures where people gather, such as stages, grandstands and canopies, there should be a calculation demonstrating that the structure is safe for its intended use. It is prepared by a certified structural engineer.
The municipality. Building and housing inspection assesses the structural side, and inspectors check on site. Municipalities apply their own policy rules, so the same grandstand can be assessed slightly differently from one municipality to another.
Because the ground, wind loading and configuration differ each time. An approval at one location tells you nothing about the next, and a file that mixes these up becomes useless in the event of an incident.
Yes. The record is built for use on the build site, with photo and position, and works without a connection. That is necessary, because on an event site coverage cannot be taken for granted. See also our approach to building an app.
Often, in practice. The inspection of the electrical installation under NEN 3140 is a separate responsibility with its own inspector, but it ends up in the same file for the organiser.
Do you know which calculation this setup was approved on the basis of?
Take a build from last season and look for the calculation that belonged to that configuration on that ground. If you only find a calculation for the grandstand type, that is the gap. We build this as a standalone application and as part of a broader software development project.