Post Supported Canopies
SKYSCAPE® post-supported canopies provide an attractive building entry and allow for greater projection from the building to offer weather protection for customers and employees. The design eliminates the need for hanger supports and allows flexibility with multiple wall and building conditions, along with a variety of post and column style options.
SKYSCAPE® Canopies are fabricated using extruded aluminum components for unbeatable strength and durability. Capable of withstanding even the harshest weather conditions, they can last years without rusting or corroding. And because our manufactured canopies are welded, not thru-fastened, field installation is simplified to ensure a top-quality product with a fast completion time.
How Post Supported Canopies Work
Post supported canopies use ground-level posts or columns to carry the canopy load directly to the foundation rather than transferring it through the building wall. This makes post supported systems the most versatile structural option — they work with virtually any wall type and building condition, including situations where the wall assembly cannot support a cantilevered or hanger supported system.
The post and column design also allows for greater projection from the building face, providing wider coverage for building entries, walkways, and covered circulation areas. SkyScape offers a variety of post profiles and column styles to complement the architectural character of the building.
Post supported systems are available in flat, curved, and arched profiles. Post spacing, column sizing, and base plate design are all engineered to the specific project load requirements. SkyScape offers a variety of post and column profiles. From clean rectangular tubes to more architectural column options, allowing the system to complement the building’s design without compromising structural performance.
Common Applications
Post supported aluminum canopies are specified across a broad range of commercial project types, particularly where large projection or wall independence is required:
- Large building entries requiring wide coverage
- Self-storage facility entrance canopies and drive-through covers
- Healthcare and medical campus walkway covers
- Retail and shopping center entries with wide storefronts
- Institutional and municipal building entries
- Drive-through lanes for restaurant, QSR, and financial operators
- National account and multi-location rollout programs
Engineering & Specification Support
Post supported canopy systems require foundation design coordination in addition to the canopy structure itself. SkyScape’s engineering team works with the project’s structural engineer of record to confirm post base conditions, foundation loads, and anchor requirements. We provide wind and snow load calculations per ASCE 7, post sizing and layout drawings, foundation load data for the structural engineer, and complete submittal packages including PE-stamped shop drawings where required.
Architects can use the SkyScape Spec Builder to generate specification language for post supported canopy systems under CSI MasterFormat Section 10 73 16.
Every SkyScape post supported canopy submittal includes shop drawings, engineering calculations, post and foundation load data, and PE-stamped documents where required. Our team coordinates with the project’s structural engineer of record on foundation conditions and anchor requirements, and responds to RFIs during the bid and construction phase through installation.
Why Specify SkyScape
SkyScape post supported canopies are factory-assembled and pre-welded before they leave our facility. The variety of available post profiles and column styles allows the system to be tailored to the building’s architectural language without compromising structural performance.
Every canopy is finished in-house with AAMA 2604 high-performance powder coat in a broad range of standard and custom colors. Our national manufacturing and shipping capability supports commercial projects across the United States, from single location builds to large-scale multi-site rollout programs. SkyScape works directly with architects, general contractors, and enterprise operators from design phase through installation.
SkyScape’s in-house engineering team supports the full project lifecycle from early design assistance through submittal and construction. Our technical response time and documentation depth are consistent differentiators for architects and GCs specifying SkyScape for the first time. Whether the project is a single location or a large-scale multi-site rollout, our team ensures the process stays on schedule from specification through delivery.