Temporary structures
Cutting-edge technology and driving fun
Before temporary structures and amusement park facilities can be put into operation, TÜV NORD experts assess their safety and stability.
Cutting-edge technology and driving fun
Before temporary structures and amusement park facilities can be put into operation, TÜV NORD experts assess their safety and stability.
We encounter these rides everywhere, whether at folk festivals or amusement parks, and they are exposed to enormous loads. But the fun can only really begin once they have been safety tested.
Before temporary constructions and amusement park facilities can be put into operation, experts from TÜV NORD assess their safety and stability. By undergoing inspection, operators can boost customer confidence, ensure the safety of the facility, and fulfil legal requirements.
Operators and manufacturers of temporary structures and amusement park facilities will find detailed information and valuable tips on TÜV NORD's services and the corresponding approval procedure on this page.
TÜV NORD ensures safe ride fun, whether it's higher, faster or more spectacular. Whether at Hamburg Cathedral, Cranger Kirmes, Hanover Schützenfest or amusement parks around the world, sophisticated technology is in operation everywhere. However, flying structures are exposed to enormous static, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic loads. Before the systems are put into operation, our experts inspect them for safety and stability.
In the federal states of Lower Saxony and Hamburg, TÜV NORD is responsible for approving temporary structures. The inspection body for temporary structures in Essen and the testing offices for structural analysis of temporary structures in Essen and Hamburg enable a testing and approval process from a single source.
In Germany, the approval of temporary structures is regulated by the relevant state building regulations. As these approvals are recognised across the federal states, the requirements are largely identical.
A licence is required for the initial erection and commissioning of temporary structures. A construction licence cannot be issued until the technical documentation, the manufacturing process and the completed installation have been inspected. These tests cover specific technical aspects derived from the DIN EN 13814/13782 standard, taking into account design and building physics factors. Following a successful review of the technical documentation and a positive acceptance test, an execution permit will be granted for a limited period, along with a test logbook.
An extension must be applied for before the temporary construction licence expires. Extension of the execution licence is only granted if a technical inspection of the system has been carried out. The scope of the inspection depends on the type of temporary construction.
If you have any questions about your online application for an export licence or any other queries, please get in touch. We will deal with your request immediately.
Temporary structures that require authorisation can only be used if their erection has been notified in good time to the relevant local building authority and an inspection log has been submitted. The lower building supervisory authority may require an acceptance of use before commissioning the temporary structure.
Contact details for the relevant lower building supervisory authorities in other federal states can be found on the websites of the relevant cities and districts.
A recognised inspection authority or body must generally carry out the structural inspection of the proof of stability of a temporary structure. In most federal states, the specifications for inspecting the structural verification of temporary structures are set out in the relevant Pruefingenieur- und Pruefsachverstaendigen-Verordnung (PPVO) or Bautechnische Pruefungsverordnung (BauPrüfVO). The list "Inspection authorities for temporary structures" contains all the recognised inspection authorities and bodies, organised by federal state.
The list Authorisation bodies for temporary structures contains all the recognised authorisation bodies for temporary structures.
Temporary structures include rides, tents, textile or membrane structures, stages and grandstands that can be erected and dismantled repeatedly, either temporarily or permanently, at different locations without loss of substance. Examples include fairgrounds and amusement parks.
However, structures that can be erected and dismantled repeatedly at different locations, but are intended for permanent or repeated erection over a longer period at one location, are not considered temporary under building law. These structures require a building permit procedure in accordance with Section 61 MBO, in which their permissibility under building planning law must also be checked.
Such structures include, for example
The technical regulations for temporary structures can be applied to these structures mutatis mutandis. If a construction licence is available, it can form the basis of a building permit. As a rule, extension inspections (independent main inspections) must be requested and carried out in accordance with the regulations for temporary structures.
Operators often ask TÜV NORD whether their structures should be categorised as temporary. To help with this, we have provided an overview of the types of installations that are not considered temporary structures:
Operators do not require an implementation licence for the following temporary structures:
However, temporary structures that do not require a licence must comply with public building regulations.
In 1999, the ARGEBAU 'Construction Supervision' expert commission decided that a special inspection was required for older amusement rides with highly stressed dynamic parts. The first inspection must be carried out 12 years after commissioning, and then every six years (every four years for railways). This involves special inspections and material tests of dismantled parts. This special inspection is a prerequisite for extending the operating licence for these older rides.
Due to the introduction of new wind zones in Germany, the so-called wind loads in static calculations for temporary structures can no longer be applied across the whole country. In 2007, the Working Group on Tensile Structures therefore adopted the following regulations: There is no change for temporary structures erected in wind load zones 1 and 2 or outside coastal regions. However, for temporary structures in coastal regions in wind load zones 3 and 4, special measures must be taken in consultation with the local building authorities:
Temporary structures wishing to obtain unrestricted authorisation for all four wind zones must provide structural proof of their safety under various wind loads.
At the 88th meeting of the Working Group on Temporary Structures of the Building Inspection Commission of the Conference of Building Ministers, the following opinion was expressed:
This information relates to tent-like structures attached to vehicles, such as lorries or trailers, particularly at motorsport events. These structures are used for storage and as workshops, as well as for people to stay in, and are sometimes accessible to visitors.
Tents and vehicles (lorries or trailers) form an integral unit and therefore fulfil the definition of a temporary structure under Section 76 (1) sentence 1 MBO.
If a tent is attached to a vehicle (e.g. a lorry or trailer) and forms a structure with it, the relevant area for exemption under Section 76, Paragraph 2, No. 4 MBO is the sum of the areas of the tent and vehicle. No construction licence is required for a base area of up to 75 m² (Section 76(2)(1)(4) MBO).
For the structures in question here (tent on vehicle), a reduced gust velocity pressure of 0.30 kN/m² in accordance with section 7.4.2.2 of DIN EN 13782 'for tents with a width of less than or equal to 10 m' may be used if the combined width of the tent and vehicle does not exceed 10 m.
Inflatable, tent-like structures attached to lorries with ground support for temporary motorsport events or similar are also considered temporary structures under building regulations.
Exemptions from the StVZO, the StVO and the Driving Licence Ordinance can be granted under certain conditions for the use of vehicles at traditional events such as shooting competitions or carnival processions. For example, in exceptional cases, it is possible to transport people sitting or standing on the loading area, and to drive towing vehicles with trailers using driving licence classes 5, L or T.
However, if vehicles without an operating licence are to be used for participation in traditional events, or if vehicles are to be significantly modified for participation, an assessment by an officially recognised expert (aaS) from a technical testing centre is required before the exemption permit can be issued.
The scope of the assessment and the technical requirements for vehicles are set out in the 'Information Sheet on the Equipment and Operation of Vehicles and Vehicle Combinations for Use at Traditional Events'.
For example, the following requirements apply to the transport of passengers:
Further details on the technical requirements and the assessment/exception procedure can be obtained from your local TÜV expert or via our free hotline on +49 800 80 70 60 0, or via this link.
Am TÜV 1, 30519 Hanover
Phone: +49 511 998-61479
Fax: +49 511 998-61487
E-Mail: FliegendeBauten@tuev-nord.de
Am TÜV 1, 45307 Essen
Phone: +49 201 825-2791
Fax: +49 201 825-2676