Large Fabric Storage Structures

[IllMarty1]

When we moved our family business to it's current location in 91, we built a nice block building. Civilization has caught up to this location, and I am thinking of moving again, but out in the country this time. Our current heating bills for winter are over $1000 a month, and we dont need as much heated area as we have now. My thought is to build an office/heated work area on a much smaller scale (less capital expenditure, less variable costs.), and possibly use a fabric structure to keep things not needing to be heated out of the weather.

I am starting to see alot of fabric structures here in northern IL. Any one have any experience with these? We would need a tall one with roll up door for fork lift access. Also I have seen a few built on top of 40' shipping containers.

 

[js5020]

Well I don't have one, but I too would like to hear the reports of those who do. Are there any issues with them? How have you secured it to the ground so I dosen't become a gigantic kite? How long have you had it and how is it holding up? How difficult was construction? Does it sweat? Has it suffered any damage due to wind or snow, falling limbs and such? Many need/want a low cost structure for various purposes,,, are they really low cost? And finally if you had to do it again, would you or would you put up something else?

 

[AlanB]

I have been around several, and worked in several, and have several very large ones around that I have ready access too. I also saw one collapsed a week or so ago.

Best ones I have seen have been built by "sprung" structures.
Sprung Instant Structures

There are several on the airfield, and one replaced a "clamshell" I worked in for a while.

By the time I was paying for one of those, unless there are some really off the wall requirements you are working against, like we do sometimes here, I would just put up a pole barn or steel building for my business.

 

[forgeblast]

If its anything like a green house then you need to keep it heated in the winter to keep the snow load down. I have seen green houses around here crushed because a heater ran out of fuel. I have also seen them make it through nasty snowstorms because they where able to keep the snow melting off the roof.