What is a split umbrella base, and why choose it over one heavy slab?
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- Issue Time
- Oct 23,2026
What is a split umbrella base, and why choose it over one heavy slab?
A split base is supplied as separate steel plates that are bolted together on site, and it exists for three reasons.
First, weight that cannot be lifted. Our modular base is built as 4 plates in the 55 kg and 80 kg versions and 8 plates in the 160 kg version, each plate 45 x 45 cm, so one person can carry the pieces to the terrace and assemble them there.
Second, tolerance on site. If a location turns out windier than the drawings suggested, extra plates can be added to move up a build instead of replacing the base.
Third, appearance. The plates are finished in grey or wood-grain brown, so a 160 kg base can read as part of a timber deck rather than a concrete block.
Steel thickness also scales with the build, at 12 mm, 18 mm and 24 mm across the configurations, so the heaviest version is not simply more plates, it is thicker plate as well.
What a split base is
A split base is made in two interlocking halves that wrap around the pole and lock together, then fill with sand or water. You never lift the finished weight as one piece, which makes large hold-downs manageable.
Why choose it
Split bases ship and store flat, assemble without lifting the full weight, and suit sites where a one-piece 80 kg base would be impossible to carry up stairs or across a deck. They are a favourite for rooftops and balconies.
The trade-off is a slightly larger footprint than a compact fixed base, so check the terrace space.