DEALER LOGIN BECOME A DEALER
  • Why Calhoun
    Engineered to LastSafety FirstSuperior Fabric QualitySatisfaction GuaranteedQuick Return on InvestmentDesign Flexibility
  • Buildings & Services
    Building ProfilesFabric CoversBuilding ComponentsInstallationREPAIRS AND RECOVERSCover-All Buildings
  • Before You Begin
    Our ProcessFactors To ConsiderSteps to Get Started
  • Industries
    Salt & SandWaste & RecyclingOil & GasFertilizerSports & RecreationEquestrianAgriculture StorageAgriculture LivestockStorage & WarehousingMining
  • Gallery
  • Resources
    White PaperseBooksFact SheetsBrochuresVideosCase StudiesBlogFAQsFinancingSourcewellWarranty
  • About US
GET A QUOTE

Blog

A Beginners Guide to Fabric Buildings: A Simple Comparison

  • July 24, 2018 by Admin
A Beginners Guide to Fabric Buildings: A Simple Comparison

You have probably driven by, or walked right into, a fabric structure without even knowing it. Fabric structures have come a long way from “tents”, not only from their sheer size and resilience to the elements, but also due to the way they are engineered. In many ways, a fabric structure is superior to wood, concrete, or steel counterparts. The fabric tarp covering resists corrosion as does the hot-dip galvanized steel frame. They can be built to nearly any dimension, in configurations limited only to the builder’s imagination. They allow light to pass through, creating an almost luminescent experience during the daytime, and can withstand strong winds, snow and ice, as well as the heat from the summer sun. Less costly to manufacture and maintain, and a life as long as any metal or concrete building, fabric structures are also quick to assemble and can serve a variety of purposes from livestock structures to commercial storage or public shade facilities.

Fabric structures also qualify for the same building codes and standards as conventional buildings, yet often outlive their wood, concrete, or steel counterparts due to weather, corrosion, and water resistance. What’s more, a fabric structure has significantly less impact on the environment than its counterparts.

Not limited to wedding tents or traveling circuses anymore, fabric structures are still in their beginning stages so a lot of misconceptions surround them as far as lifespan and durability are concerned. Fabric structures are just as capable as lasting through generations of use, the same as wood, concrete, or steel. In the future, you can expect to see fabric structures popping up everywhere, so be sure to keep your eyes open for new fabric structures being built in your area.

A Different Way to Build

If you had to explain what fabric structures are to a beginner, you might use the tent analogy. Fabric buildings are just what it says: buildings that are covered with fabric. However, a fabric building isn’t so limited in what it can do based on what it is constructed with. For example, many road crews rely on fabric buildings to cover their stockpiles of rock salt for snow removal. Magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are very reactive to frozen water, allowing for lower melting points as well as traction, but in a metal building, they can succumb to corrosion very quickly.

And what about using wood to cover a large area? It would not only be very expensive, but wood limits the amount of open area within a structure that cannot exceed the durability of the material before its structural integrity is compromised.

Fabric doesn’t have those problems. It also has the benefit of being used as buildings that would be priced out of practicality if you were to use sheet metal. A horse arena, for example, would be much more expensive to build using sheet metal or concrete than one built from fabric. On top of that buildings made of wood, concrete, and steel block the light. If you have ever been inside a fabric structure, light is diffused into the open space from outside, allowing you to use sunlight to illuminate your surroundings, almost as though you were outside!

How Are They Made?

Calhoun starts with a variety of methods available to begin building a fabric structure. Only a few things need to be known about the structure before construction.

• What do you need to use it for?
• How big does it need to be?
• When can we begin building?

Calhoun’s fabric structures can be built just about anywhere and are built to last. Our hot-dip galvanized steel can last generations, and our fabric covering can last years – backed by almost two decades of warranty.

The framework can be build on spec and assembled in just about any environment to any size, shape, or architecture needed, at a fraction of the cost and time to build as other building materials.

The majority of the fabric structure, such as the roof, end-walls, and side walls can be made of fabric, but our structures are not limited to just fabric. Wood, steel, and concrete can be used to enhance the building depending on your plans and designs. Fabric is entirely flexible when it comes to construction.

Sustainable and Functional

Fabric isn’t some indestructible building material either, but then again, nothing is. When considering use in livestock arenas, construction and heavy equipment sheds, barns, international airports, or even businesses, fabric will require maintenance. Repairs and recovers can be made quickly and effectively. What’s more, if the structure suffers enough damage over time, it is relatively inexpensive to replace.

Unlike a wood barn, fabric structures are animal resistant and you won’t see wear and tear on a fabric structure the way you would a wooden post and pillar barn. Cattle, goats, and even horses love chewing through wooden doors and supports, whereas they show much less interest in doing so with fabric. If accidents do happen, animals are less prone to injury with a fabric structure than they would be a barn made from wood or steel. As for steel sheds and similar structures, fabric is superior in that fabric saves money in heating and air conditioning, as it is less conductive than steel.

The structure also has the added benefit of being as temporary as you need it to be. Unlike conventional buildings, fabric can relocated quite easily. In a time when people need to be more environmentally considerate for future generations, fabric is the wave of the future.

 

How did fabric structures evolve? Read The History of Fabric Structures.

Categories..

Advantages of Fabric Buildings Agriculture Automotive Benefits of Fabric Bulk & Commodity Storage Construction Industry Customized Fabric Buildings Engineering & Technology Equipment Storage Fabric Buildings and Barns Fabric Structures for Farms Fabric Structures for Sports & Recreation Fertilizer Industry Greenhouses Indoor Riding Arenas Liners & Insulation Livestock Housing Mining Industry News & Events Oil & Gas Public Works Repairs & Re-Covers Salt and Sand Industry Salt Protection Storage and Warehousing Ventilation in Fabric Structures Waste and Recycling Industry Winter Structures

Facebook feed

Calhoun Super Structure
Tweets by MESemenAnalysis

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
@Calhoun

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG

Get top stories and blog posts sent to me each day.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Recent posts

  • Reduce Construction Industry Delays During Winter Months

    Reduce Construction Industry Delays During Winter Months

    December 2, 2019
  • Our Core Values

    Our Core Values

    October 18, 2019
  • The Problem with Flat Plate Couplers in Fabric Buildings

    The Problem with Flat Plate Couplers in Fabric Buildings

    September 25, 2019

Popular posts

  • Engineered vs. Non-Engineered Fabric Structures: Why It Matters

    Engineered vs. Non-Engineered Fabric Structures: Why It Matters

    May 29, 2018
  • The History of Fabric Structures

    The History of Fabric Structures

    May 29, 2018
  • Winter No Match for Durable Fabric Structures

    Winter No Match for Durable Fabric Structures

    May 29, 2018
  • Fabric Structures in the Sports and Rec Industry

    Fabric Structures in the Sports and Rec Industry

    May 29, 2018
  • Cost-Effective and Durable: Upgrading Your Farm With a Fabric Building

    Cost-Effective and Durable: Upgrading Your Farm With a Fabric Building

    May 29, 2018

contact us today for a quote

Lets Get Started

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

OUR SOLUTIONS

Salt & Sand Waste & Recycling Oil & Gas Fertilizer Sports & Recreation Equestrian Agriculture Storage Agriculture Livestock Storage and Warehousing Mining

ABOUT US

The Way We Do Business Milestones Mission, Vision, Values Meet the Team

SERVICES

Building Profiles Fabric Covers Building Components Installation Repairs and Recovers Cover All Buildings

CONTACT US

Contact Become a Dealer
Calhoun
All rights reserved. © 2019
Privacy Policy
  • Why Calhoun
    • Engineered to Last
    • Safety First
    • Superior Fabric Quality
    • Quick Return on Investment
    • Satisfaction Guaranteed
    • Design Flexibility
  • Buildings & Services
    • Building Profiles
    • Fabric Covers
    • Building Components
    • Installation
    • REPAIRS & RECOVERS
    • Cover-All Buildings
  • Before You Begin
    • Our Process
    • Factors To Consider
    • Steps to Get Started
  • Industries
    • Salt & Sand
    • Waste & Recycling
    • Oil & Gas
    • Fertilizer
    • Sports & Recreation
    • Equestrian
    • Agriculture Storage
    • Agriculture Livestock
    • Storage & Warehousing
    • Mining
  • Gallery
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • eBooks
    • Fact Sheets
    • Brochures
    • Videos
    • Case Studies
    • Blog
    • FAQs
    • Sourcewell
    • Financing
    • Warranty
  • About us