Technical reference
Padel court load grades and foundation design
Every court we ship is engineered for the wind and snow load at the site it is going to — not for an average. This page shows how we grade wind and snow by region, which structure each grade allows, how the concrete foundation is specified, and what your structural engineer receives with the order.
4Wind zones
by project location
by project location
4Snow zones
by project location
by project location
0.55–1.05kN/m² reference
design wind pressure
design wind pressure
5Technical documents
issued per project
issued per project
Method
How to use this page
Three steps take you from a site address to a signed-off foundation drawing.
Locate the project
Send us the site address and, where you have it, the wind and snow provisions of the local building code or the national annex that applies to the location.
Match the zone
Find the wind and snow zone in the tables below and read the structure each grade allows, including the ceiling on post-free courts.
Confirm in writing
We return a structural calculation and a foundation drawing for your engineer to review before the foundation is cast, so nothing has to be re-poured later.
Wind
Wind load grading by project location
The zone fixes the reference design wind pressure the court is calculated for, and with it the structural family we can offer.
| Zone | Representative locations | Reference design wind pressure | Structure solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1Routine wind | Southern Europe, most of the USA, eastern Australia, China | 0.55 kN/m²≈ 30 m/s equivalent |
Standard panoramic / super panoramic court. |
| Zone 2Strong wind | Middle East, North Africa, Western Australia, Mexico | 0.70 kN/m²≈ 33 m/s equivalent |
Reinforced standard structure — heavier post wall thickness. |
| Zone 3Typhoon / hurricane | Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, the Caribbean, Florida (USA) | 0.85–1.05 kN/m²≈ 37–41 m/s equivalent |
Project-specific design: denser post spacing, additional bracing, thicker base plates. |
| Zone 4Cold strong wind | Northern Europe, Canada | 0.60 kN/m²checked together with snow |
Project-specific snow design required; see the snow grading below. |
These are reference values for preliminary model selection. The governing wind pressure for your project is set by the wind code and national annex of the project location, and we fix the final figure in the structural calculation we issue for the project. Where a site falls between two grades, the higher grade governs.
Equivalent wind speeds are converted from pressure with q = ½ρv² (ρ = 1.25 kg/m³) and are given for orientation only — always quote the pressure, not the speed, when you compare quotations.
Snow
Snow load grading by project location
Snow is the load that most often decides whether a roofed model is needed at all, and whether the standard range is still acceptable.
| Snow zone | Representative locations | Reference snow load | Design requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1Snow-free | South-East Asia, the Middle East, South America, Africa, Southern Europe | 0no snow case |
The standard structure can be used directly. |
| Zone 2Light snow | Southern USA, North China, Australia | 0.2–0.3 kN/m²≈ 10–15 cm settled snow |
The standard structure can carry it. |
| Zone 3Moderate snow | Southern Northern Europe, southern Canada, North-East China, Japan | 0.5–0.7 kN/m²≈ 25–35 cm settled snow |
A rain-roof model with a reinforced roof frame is recommended. |
| Zone 4Heavy snow | Northern Northern Europe, the Canadian prairies, Russia | 0.8–1.2 kN/m²≈ 40–60 cm settled snow |
Project-specific structural design; the standard range is not accepted here. |
Settled-snow depths are converted at 2.0 kN/m³ and are given for orientation only. Where wind and snow act together — the cold strong-wind zone in the table above, for example — both are checked in the same load combination rather than added separately.
Selection limits
Post-free or posted: what each structure allows
The same grading, read by structure type instead of by region. Post-free panoramic courts are the most open to play in, and the open span is exactly what limits them in high wind — so the ceiling is worth knowing before the layout is fixed.
| Structure family | Reference wind ceiling | Reference snow ceiling | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-free panoramic / super panoramic | 0.55 kN/m² | 0.3 kN/m² |
Routine wind, snow-free to light snow. The standard range for most projects. |
| Posted standard, reinforced posts | 0.70 kN/m² | 0.3 kN/m² |
Strong-wind coasts and exposed sites where a post-free span would be over its limit. |
| Posted, project-specific design | 0.85–1.05 kN/m² | 0.7 kN/m²with a reinforced roof frame |
Typhoon and hurricane regions. Denser posts, additional bracing, thicker base plates. |
| Covered / roofed, project-specific design | Per project | 0.8–1.2 kN/m² |
Heavy-snow and cold strong-wind regions, where the standard range is not accepted. |
These ceilings are the reference values from the two tables above, read by structure type. They are a screening tool, not a substitute for the calculation: the final structure is confirmed against the project's own wind and snow case before manufacture begins.
Foundation
Concrete foundation and anchor requirements
The foundation is the part of a padel court project that is easiest to get wrong and most expensive to correct. These are the requirements we put into the foundation drawing we issue for your project.
Foundation type
Isolated pad foundations under each post for the standard range. A strip or raft foundation where a roof frame or a high post load makes it necessary. The type follows the structural calculation and the geotechnical report for the site.
Concrete
Minimum C25/30 concrete to EN 206:2013+A2:2021, cast on compacted, well-drained sub-base. Reinforcement and cover follow the foundation drawing issued for the project.
Anchors and embedded plates
Hot-dip galvanized anchor bolts and base plates to EN ISO 1461:2022; steelwork fabricated and installed to EN 1090-2:2018+A1:2024. Bolt diameter, embedment depth and plate size are given per model in the foundation drawing.
Setting out and tolerance
Post positions set out to the drawing, with anchors held by a template so the base plate holes line up. Level and diagonal are checked while the concrete is still workable — correcting anchors afterwards is not practical.
Curing and loading
Cure the concrete for at least 7 days (ordinary Portland cement) and do not load the anchors until the concrete has reached its design strength. Court installation starts after that.
Drainage, frost and corrosion
Slope the surrounding ground away from the court and keep the playing area free of standing water. In frost-susceptible ground, take the foundation below the local frost depth. Site corrosivity is classified to EN ISO 9223:2012 to choose the right protection route, with protective paint systems to ISO 12944-5:2019 as the alternative to galvanizing.
Foundation dimensions, reinforcement and anchor schedules are project-specific. The basis above is what we design to; the drawing issued for your project governs. A local contractor can cast the foundation from that drawing — and if you would rather we supervised the foundation and installed the court, that is arranged per project.
Deliverables
Documents issued with every project
Five documents go out with the order. They exist so your engineer and your contractor can check our work with the same numbers we calculated with.
01
Structural calculation report
Prepared for the project's own wind and snow loads, in a form your local structural engineer can review and counter-sign.
02
Foundation drawing
Supplied in DWG and PDF, including the anchor and embedded plate schedules the contractor works from.
03
Bill of materials (BOM)
Itemized steel, glass, turf and hardware, so the delivered shipment can be checked line by line against the order.
04
Installation manual
Step-by-step assembly, with a 3D installation drawing and a video tutorial supplied with the order.
05
Third-party test reports
Turf testing, safety glazing to AS 2208:2023 for Australia, and CE documentation.
FAQ
Questions about load grading and foundations
How do you decide which wind and snow zone my project is in?
Send us the site address and, if you have it, the wind and snow provisions of the local building code or the national annex that applies. We match the site to the zones on this page, and the final wind pressure and snow load are fixed in the structural calculation issued for the project.
Where a site falls between two grades we design to the higher one, so a coastal plot on the edge of a strong-wind zone is treated as strong wind rather than as routine.
Can I use a post-free panoramic court in a strong-wind or typhoon area?
Post-free panoramic and super panoramic courts are the standard solution up to the routine wind zone — a reference design wind pressure of 0.55 kN/m². Above that we move to a posted structure with reinforced posts, good to 0.70 kN/m².
In typhoon and hurricane regions (0.85–1.05 kN/m²) the court is designed specifically for the project, with denser post spacing, additional bracing and thicker base plates. If full panoramic views are essential in that zone, tell us early — the design route is different, not impossible.
Do I have to choose a roofed model if my site gets heavy snow?
Not always. Up to about 0.3 kN/m² the standard structure can carry the snow load. In the moderate band (0.5–0.7 kN/m²) we recommend a rain-roof model with a reinforced roof frame, which also keeps the court usable through the wet season.
In the heavy band (0.8–1.2 kN/m²) the standard range is not accepted and the court is designed specifically for the project. Roofing is then a structural decision as much as a comfort one.
Who casts the concrete foundation — you or my contractor?
The foundation is normally cast locally, because the concrete, the sub-base and the frost depth are all site conditions. We issue the foundation drawing in DWG and PDF with the anchor and embedded plate schedules, so your contractor can build it directly from the drawing.
If you would rather we supervised the foundation and installed the court, that is arranged per project — raise it at quotation stage so it can be priced in.
What documents will my structural engineer receive?
A structural calculation report prepared for the project's wind and snow loads, the foundation drawing in DWG and PDF, the bill of materials, the installation manual, and third-party test reports for turf and safety glazing (AS 2208:2023 for Australia) together with CE documentation.
Send your engineer's questions with the enquiry and we will answer them against the calculation, before the foundation is cast.
Next step
Send us the site and we will return the load case and the foundation drawing.
Tell us the project location and, if you have them, the local wind and snow provisions. We come back with the zone, the structure that fits and the calculation your engineer needs — usually within 12–24 hours.
