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ClearSpan Fabric Structures provides a one-stop shop for your building needs. As the industry-leading manufacturer of tension fabric buildings, we offer American-made structures with in-house engineering, manufacturing, financing and installation. Let us guide you through designing the best building for your application. To learn more visit www.ClearSpan.com.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

ClearSpan vs. Metrodome: Where the similarities end

You couldn’t have missed the footage from the collapse of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome last weekend after a storm dumped more than 17 inches of snow on Minneapolis.  Did you know that this is the fourth time the Metrodome, an air-supported structure, has collapsed due to heavy snow and ice?
 

Air-supported structure in the snow.
While ClearSpan Fabric Structures and air-supported structures share the unique design of no internal support posts, this is where the similarities end. Air-supported, or inflated, structures are supported only by air. For structural integrity, the internal pressure of these structures must be constantly monitored so that it remains equal to or exceeds external pressure. During extreme weather conditions, if the correct pressure isn’t achieved, the building can fail.


ClearSpan Fabric Structure in the snow.
Unlike air-supported structures, fabric structures are supported by steel trusses. Every ClearSpan Fabric Structure is custom engineered to local building requirements, such as wind and snow loads. The design of fabric structures also allows snow to slide off the roof.



To learn more about the advantages of ClearSpan Fabric Structures visit www.ClearSpan.com.
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2 comments:

  1. Sam ArmijosDecember 14, 2010 at 12:41 PM

    Very Nice. How much do your structures cost in comparison to an air structure?

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  2. ClearSpan Fabric StructuresDecember 15, 2010 at 7:04 AM

    Pricing is not a question that is easily answered. Each building is unique with the width of the structure and local zoning requirements being significant drivers of cost. Buildings can range from $2 per square foot to over $40 per square foot. In athletic applications we typically find the up-front costs to be about half of an air supported structure. Reduced operating costs also offer a lifetime of savings.

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