What happened next changed everything for fabric buildings. Leading manufacturers developed a method for applying fabric to a structural-steel rigid frame that used solid I-beams instead of web truss framing. This shift instantly advanced the credibility of fabric buildings within the engineering community. It was not merely a step along an evolutionary path; it was a revolution of such magnitude that it registered more like the creation of a wholly new product category. Rigid-frame design had opened a completely uncharted road for fabric structures.
With I-beam frame engineering, all buildings get a clean sheet design from the beginning. Using finite element analysis software, engineers could now customize the building to meet individual user requirements. In other words, fabric structure suppliers had begun employing conventional construction methods, while still being able to offer the benefits of a fabric membrane solution, which can include natural daylighting, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency.
Constant innovation
Supported by proven engineering, structural frame designs empower users with the flexibility to implement wide clear spans or taller height clearances. I-beams can also be individually optimized in the design process to account for suspended loads on the structure, such as mezzanines, conveyors, light fixtures, HVAC, and fire suppression systems.
Customized designs and larger dimensions were only the beginning. Engineers continued their push to innovate fabric building beyond what most had considered possible. With I-beam design in play, fabric buildings could be fitted up with other construction materials. Suppliers began to work with project subcontractors to place fabric building framing members alongside metal or sheetrock build-outs. Materials such as brick and stone are commonly implemented for facades along fabric exterior walls.
With greater capabilities came increasing opportunities to tackle more complex jobs. In many cases, the primary structure itself is not the most intricate aspect of the project. Fabric building manufacturers have taken on a variety of new challenges. In many cases, the main structure may not be the most complex part of the job. Notable projects have seen manufacturers install a fabric structure over existing wastewater plant equipment, provide a new fabric-cladded addition to a conventional brick-and-mortar building, and supply multiple buildings at varying elevations that needed to be properly terrain-matched to accommodate an accessibility ramp and elevator in a connecting foyer.
