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    1. Plant Operations

    Why Your Next Temporary Building Should Be a Fabric Structure

    March 9, 2022
    In the building market, the word “temporary” no longer means what it used to. What was once a representation of something weak, feeble or strictly a short-term solution, is now a word that paints a much different picture.
    Related To: ClearSpan Structures

    While the word “temporary” does imply short-term, a temporary building doesn’t have to be a provisional solution for operations, and it certainly doesn’t have to be weak or unreliable. Rather than placing a negative connotation on a building’s quality or structural integrity, being temporary refers to the relocatable nature of the structure, as well as how it is manufactured.

    ClearSpan’s temporary buildings are designed to be as reliable as any traditional building solution. They utilize unique manufacturing strategies and the highest quality materials available to provide a building that’s not only temporary, but that can also offer an effective long-term solution, whatever its purpose may be. Whether it’s for emergency housing, disaster recovery, COVID-19 response or an operation that just needs a temporary or rental solution, a ClearSpan fabric structure offers unmatched benefits as a temporary building.

    Looking at Modular Construction: What Is a Modular Building?

    Modular construction helps make a ClearSpan temporary building unique, classifying it as a modular building. A modular building is generally constructed off-site in a much shorter time frame than conventional buildings while using the same materials and adhering to the same codes and standards as traditional solutions. Modular construction provides the added benefits of faster timelines and a temporary classification, meaning ClearSpan buildings are often exempt from normal tax laws.

    These temporary buildings are manufactured in pre-built parts which are then assembled and installed on an operation’s chosen site. Their versatile nature allows them to adapt to any business’s need, including being easily expanded upon if operations require more space than they originally anticipated.

    Overall, a modular building helps operations save time and money and offers them a superior temporary structure.

    Convenience and Portability

    Two of the most important factors in a temporary structure are its convenience to an operation and its ability to be moved around various locations. Fabric buildings are manufactured to meet both needs, featuring design components that help provide operations with the best temporary structure available.

    ClearSpan’s temporary structures have very limited foundation needs, which allows them to be rapidly deployed on different sites. The innovative helical anchor foundation offers one of the best options for portability.

    Helical anchors drill directly into the ground and require minimal excavation, making installation and removal far simpler. This anchoring system is 100 percent temporary and allows a temporary building to be easily relocated. Still, for businesses who need a temporary structure in one location for an extended period of time, helical anchors can provide the strength and dependability of a permanent foundation.

    Fabric buildings are constructed from durable materials that are also lightweight by nature. This style of lightweight architecture allows ClearSpan’s temporary buildings to significantly reduce construction and transportation requirements. Mitigating this portion of the supply chain helps operations get their building quickly, at a superior price point, and also contributes to the temporary structure’s portability.

    ClearSpan Structures
    Community-boathouse-tent

    These features make a temporary structure an effective solution when businesses find themselves in urgent situations, like the Anacostia Community Boathouse Association (ACBA), located in Washington D.C. The organization was forced into a unique predicament when the city set out to replace the two bridges that bordered them on either side, tearing down their existing boathouse to complete construction.

    In need of a quick, temporary building that was affordable, yet expansive enough to house over 160 boats, the ACBA was recommended to ClearSpan by an architect who was consulting with them. 

    In the end, the association purchased two ClearSpan Fabric Buildings and now has multiple top-of-the-line temporary buildings, with plans to incorporate them into a permanent facility in the next ten years. Wherever they decide to construct a new home for the association, their ClearSpan temporary buildings can go with them.

    This article originally appeared on ClearSpan Fabric Structures, Inc. website. It has been published here with permission.