The 7 Best Fabric Building Foundations for Tension Fabric Structures

There are several tension fabric building foundations to consider when investing in a new fabric structure. While cost is a consideration, there are many other factors to keep in mind when you do your research such as whether your new building will be temporary or permanent, as well as ensuring the proper approval from your local foundation engineer. Once you’ve done your initial diligence, it’s time to consider which fabric building foundations are best suited for the structure type, usage, and application you require.

Engineered Wood Posts

Wood post mount foundations are semi-permanent and a great option for structures up to 62’. Wood posts are often utilized for equestrian or agriculture use. The most common post sizes are 8′ x 8′ treated posts, installed 4’-6’ in the ground and stand 4’-6’ above grade. Wood post fabric building foundations can be installed with minimal resources and manpower, and a low overall cost. Calhoun’s engineered wood posts are available for CC Series structures up to 62’ wide, and 32’, 42’, 52’ GB Series structures.

Steel Legs

Steel legs are typically used in corrosive environments such as the storage of salt or fertilizer when all parts of the structure need to be hot dip galvanized to resist corrosion. Steel legs are also beneficial when custom height variances are necessary. Hollow Structural Steel (HSS) leg options offer more economic by way of a cleaner, straighter finish. The HSS leg option is useful in commercial warehousing or agricultural applications when it is necessary to have as much usable space as possible. The straight leg allows assets or building accessories to line up straight against the wall. Calhoun’s standard steel web leg mounts start at 2’ and are available in denominations of 2’ up to 14’ heights.

Helical Anchors

Helical anchor are great for agricultural or commercial uses when applications such as expansive soils, fill areas, or other areas with unstable soils require piling. A helical anchor is an extendable deep fabric building foundations system with helical bearing plates welded to a central steel shaft. Load is transferred from the shaft to the soil through these bearing plates. Sizes of the helical anchor is determined by the size of structure and soil conditions. Installation depth is limited only by soil density. Helical anchors can be used for both permanent and temporary applications. Helical anchors require some equipment during installation, but can be installed with minimal labour at an affordable cost. This foundation is suitable for medium to large fabric structures.

Pre-Cast Blocks (Eco Blocks) or Walls

Pre-cast blocks (Eco Blocks) or walls are cost-effective and easy-to-install fabric building foundations given that they are formed and hardened before arriving at the job site. While they require heavy equipment to install, they are affordable and great for use in larger buildings in commercial and industrial projects. In use, the concrete blocks are stacked one at a time and held together with fresh concrete mortar to form the desired length and height of the wall.

Pre-cast blocks are an affordable alternative to double brick, giving you an extremely solid, yet lightweight, construction. They are easy to install and very cost-efficient due to their recycled material composition, making them an ideal foundation for commercial and municipal applications. The blocks are cast into either a half block or a full block and use nearly a half or a full yard of concrete, respectively. The dimensions for these blocks are typically 2’ X 2’ X 3’ for a half block and 2’ X 2’ X 6’ for a full block. Each block is cast with a 3” radius tongue and groove, for interlocking stability, in stacking applications. Pre-cast blocks work well as fabric building foundations due to their ability to provide additional height or in applications where a strong retaining wall is needed. For smaller structures, or structures that will be relocated, pre-cast blocks are useful due to their portability and affordability whilst keeping the structure in place.

Bunker Silos

Designed with different height options and base configurations, bunker silos allow you to meet a wide variety of project needs. Bunker silos are cost-effective fabric building foundations for commodity storage or temporary structures that need to be relocated. Bunker silos are modular so that they can be erected at any size, including 5’, 6’, 8’, 8’6”, 10’, 12’ and 16’ T & L panels. They are easy to install, do not require footings, and can be portable allowing for expansion or relocation.

Concrete Piers

Concrete piers can act as another option for fabric building foundations. These are a collection of cylindrical columns that supports your fabric building. There are two primary types: masonry and drilled. Each column starts with a pier cap which rests on the column itself, which in turn sits on the pile cap and the piles themselves. Practically, these can lower your labor and material costs. Furthermore, they can raise the structure above the ground if flooding is a regular concern.

Shipping Containers

Shipping containers can be used for temporary structures and are an easy, cost-effective, and versatile foundation for fabric buildings up to 62’ wide. Shipping container foundations allow maximum utilization of the foundation for employee housing, change rooms, washrooms, and storage. Truss base plates are attached to two shipping containers to provide an extra 8’-9’ of raised foundation. The fabric structure’s steel framework and fabric cover can be stored in the shipping containers for easy deployment and transportation. While shipping containers require heavy equipment to install they are one of the most cost-efficient and versatile foundations for small to medium fabric buildings. All of Calhoun’s fabric buildings with container foundations are designed and stamped by Calhoun’s third-party engineers allowing them to be used in almost any application. Shipping container mounts come standard with Calhoun’s CL Series but have also been used with CC Series and HT Series structures.

Not sure which of these fabric building foundations you should choose? Let us help

No problem! That’s why we’re here. We can handle the entire process for you from start to finish. We’d love to sit down with you to discuss your project, our installation options, and how our fabric building structures can meet your needs. Give us a call or fill out our short contact form!

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