Fabric Structures: Design and Materials

Clear span fabric covered buildings from Shelter Structures can be custom designed in virtually any shape and size. Simply tell us about your application and available space, and our design engineers will recommend the best materials and configuration to meet your objectives.

Clear span fabric structures range in size up to 280’ wide by 100′ high and can be any length. Their modular construction means you always increase or decrease the length should your application change.

Built to Last 
Our clear span shelters are constructed of the highest quality, American made components available:

Steel – Our standard frames utilize 3”, 4”, 5” or 6” truss chords.  Using larger and heavier members creates stronger trusses, allowing trusses to be erected on centers up to 20’.  The longer spacing requires fewer trusses, reducing costs.  Frames can be fabricated from pre-galvanized components or galvanized post fabrication to ASTM 123 standards.  This feature is particularly useful in coastal or high humidity environments, where corrosion is expected. Post fabrication hot dip galvanized steel has 5 times the corrosion resistance of pre-galvanized steel.

Fabric – Fabric options range in weight from 20 ounce to 35 ounce fabric. All of our fabrics are coated, not laminated, and include PVDF topcoat. The topcoats add years of life to the cover and they remain cleaner than uncoated, or acrylic coated fabrics. Pro-rated fabric warranties range from ten to 20 years depending on the fabric selected. Fabric is available as translucent, which transmits sufficient light for working inside the shelters or opaque with a blackout layer which prevents any light transmission. Several colors are also available on special order. All of the fabrics we use are flame retardant and mildew resistant.

Specialty fabric coatings are also available, including DuPont™ Tedlar®, which is a durable, polyvinyl fluoride film (PVF) that is used as a long-lasting finish for surfaces exposed to harsh environments.

Hardware – All bolts used in truss frames are A-325 structural bolts with A-194-2H heavy hex nuts and F-436 structural flat washers. All bolts are hot dip galvanized, providing years of useful service. All cables are galvanized, and hardware is drop forged and hot dip galvanized.

Shelter Structures stands behind its fabric structures and will work with you every step of the way to ensure that you get the exact building solution you need.

For more information about our custom fabric structures or clear span buildings, Contact Shelters Structures, Inc. to discuss your project.  Call us at 800-330-9294 or email us at Sales@ShelterStructures.com