Thank you. got something to play around with now.Clever!
Not very (as far as YOU are concerned) in either case
This is what you need: http://onlineconversion.vbulletin.n...lculate/14787-calculate-the-height-of-an-arch
The apex of the arch would be the height: h=(L-d*pi/2)/2 plus the half the diameter.
L is the constant 16' of the panel
d is the width at the base
for 10' base:
h=(16-10*3.14/2)/2 + 5 = 5' 3"+
for an 8' base:
h=(16-8*3.14/2)/2 + 4 = 5' 8"+
I made a arched support for my beans and cukes with a 16' piece of 2x4 wire fencing with the T posts 4' apart. The height was 6.85' by this calculation and I would say that seems about right, I am 6'1" (was 6'2", got older).
Considering that you live in MI, you will have snow load to contend with so don't go too wide. But as Deb said, a short knee wall of only 12" would give your 8' base a height of 6' 8". It will curve down fairly fast though so you won't be moving to the side of center much before you have to start ducking. The 10' base would need an 18" knee wall to get a height of nearly 7' and it wouldn't lose height quite so fast as the 8' base. You might consider building the coop with "stick framed" ends (need something there for the door anyway) with a ridge pole running at the apex and possibly again a couple of feet on either side to help support the wider, therefore somewhat flatter, "roof" when there is snow on it.
Really just going to be a coop for meat birds during the summer. Might keep it around during the winter to be an added run area for my layers.
**** shame that we can't get cattle panels at 20 feet. Would be just that much more useful to have that extra 4 feet.
