Ground Anchors For Jumping Castles
Looking for reliable ground anchoring for your jumping castle or outdoor play equipment?
At GroundGrabba, we make ground anchors and have several options that may work better for you than the old steel spike peg/stake.
Wind
When it comes to jumping castles, large inflatable play equipment and even trampolines, we all know that the wind can be quite a concern.
One moment your jumping castle, inflatable or trampoline is sitting on the ground and in a blink of an eye a wind gust can literally make it airborne with potentially disastrous lethal outcomes.
We are not saying our GroundGrabba WILL hold your jumping castle down in all conditions because there are so many factors involved but we can say that our GroundGrabba's anchor down from around three times more to around six times more* than the same length and thickness of hammer-in pegs and stakes commonly used.
In Ground Test Results
Below are results from our own testing to compare them to straight steel spike pegs.
We used six steel spike stakes:
- 300mm x10mm
- 450mm x 10mm
- 600mm x 10mm
- 450mm x 15mm
- 600mm x 15mm
- 900mm x 15mm
The reason we used these exact lengths is so we could do direct comparisons with our ground anchors that can be used for jumping castles for much greater holding power.
Here are the ground anchors we tested:
- GroundGrabba Pro 300mm x 10mm
- GroundGrabba pro I 450mm x 10mm
- GroundGrabba Pro II 600mm x 10mm
- GroundGrabba Commercial Pro 450mm x 15mm
- GroundGrabba Commercial Pro I 600mm x 15mm
- GroundGrabba Commercial Pro II 900mm x 15mm
This begs the question if ground anchors are supposed to be deployed vertically or on an angle? Here is what we found...
Are tent pegs supposed to be vertical or angled in the ground?
Given the potential danger involved with jumping castles, our GroundGrabba's may reduce to risk involved with the wind picking up the structure. If enough are deployed and if deployed correctly it will hld up to 6x more than the old hammer-in tent pegs normally used. GroundGrabba's hold well enough to be used in some portable solar installations.
With all test data please take it as a guide only.
Because there are so many variables to successful ground anchoring It is a MUST that you carry out your own tests to be perfectly satisfied GroundGrabba is the right choice for your needs. We have sample packs available just for this purpose.
How Much More Do GroundGrabba's Hold?
From our tests below we have found that GroundGrabba hold from around 3X more to up to around 6X > more than a standard hammer-in spike peg stake.
All tests were with vertical insertion and vertical lift out force.
Factors That Can Affect Ground Holding
You'd agree that you'll want to hold down your jumping castle or other inflatable equipment as best you possibly can for the environment available.
Ground Type
If the jumping castle is to be set up on bitumen or concrete then you'll need to find a different solution than GroundGrabba. GroundGrabba's are not made for concrete, bitumen or other hard ground types. If you are able to drill through bitumen into normal ground then you'll probably succeed.
Wet or Dry Ground
For normal outdoor ground types you'd need to consider if the ground is wet or sodden, are there large obstructions like large rocks etc. Has the ground been machined and compacted? Are there different layers of earth in the top 900mm or so?
Caution!, Do not use GroundGrabba where there is a risk of hitting any underground services like electricity, gas, water, sewer, communications etc.
Quantity Needed
Also to consider is the distance between each Ground Graber installed. You may need to create a balance between the length/type of Ground Grabber used. For example, If the tie down points are further apart and the ground type is soft, then you'll want the maximum holding per tie down point. If the tie down points are closer together then perhaps you wont need to go down to the same depth.
BUT what happens if it rains and the ground softens? If that happens then the ground holding of your GroundGrabba's could be greatly compromised. To help compensate for this consider the next longer version GroundGrabba.
How Deep Should They Be Deployed To?
NOTE: Make sure your GroundGrabba's are always deployed to the maximum depth. It is at maximum depth where you will achieve best ground anchoring.
This image shows how much more earth adds to the hold down force of our ground anchors.
How To Deploy a GroundGrabba for Best Results
It is important to deploy GroundGrabba correctly. If GroundGrabba's are not driven into the ground correctly they may not hold to the maximum of their ability. All you may have achieved is boring a hole in the ground and the GroundGrabba sitting in the hole which wont be even as good as the old hammer in peg stake you're probably using now.
There are slightly different methods of screwing in each GroundGrabba, but mostly it is the same principal putting downward weight onto the drill and driving it in slowly until you feel it bite and draw itself down.
More information can be found on these pages:
How Do I Attach GroundGrabba To My Jumping Castle?
GroundGrabba GR13 Pro series have Hex Heads with a 25mm flange collar. The easiest way to adapt or attach these to your jumping castle may be via the use of one of our adaptor accessories such as: