Accu-Steel Cover Buildings prides ourselves on being the highest quality product available. We are famous for saying "all cover buildings look the same from 100 yards away." While that may be true from a distance, it is important to realize that there are significant differences between manufacturers. Take some time to educate yourself on the different fabrics, the different corrosion protection, the different gauges in steel and the engineering involved. We are confident that you will realize that Accu-Steel Cover Buildings will provide you with the lowest cost of ownership throughout the lifespan of your building.
Engineering
Accu-Steel Cover Buildings are built to meet very stringent standards. All of our buildings are engineered to meet the 2006 standards of the International Building Code (IBC) without any tension membrane analysis or deductions for use. Accu-Steel also meets the recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the cover building industry.
Accu-Steel takes the engineering for a cover building very seriously. All of the engineering on an Accu-Steel Cover Building is in the steel framework. Most other cover buildings rely on something called "Tension Memberane Analysis". This means that if the tension in the fabric cover isn't held at the proper level, the building is not stable and could fail, causing serious damage to what is being stored in the building and potential injury to those in the structure. Since we do not rely on the tension membrane analysis, we never refer to ourselves as a "Fabric Tensioned Structure."
Many times when a cover building blows down the wind blew debris into the fabric, removing the tension on the cover which makes the steel structure underneath unstable. This does not happen to Accu-Steel buildings.
Conversations about engineering can get dull and boring. It is important to understand your purchase. Here are some questions you will want to ask your cover building supplier and make sure you have a full understanding prior to making a purchase:
- To what standard is the engineer stamping your building?
- What deductions (if any) were calculated to recieve that stamp?
- Is there tension membrane analysis calculated in the engineering?
- Was the engineer who stamped the building licensed in your state?
- Was the engineer who stamped the building design independant of the company selling the building or on the payroll of the manufacturer?
- Was the specific foundation that I am placing this building on part of the engineering analysis or only the building above the foundation?
- Am I comparing apples to apples in terms of engineering and quality, or were there engineering shortcuts taken?
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Should you be interested in alternate fabrics or materials, Accu-Steel would be pleased to work with you to find a solution that is suitable for your specific application. |
Material Selection
Our two most popular cover colors are white and tan. Regardless of which color you choose, you will be pleased to know that our standard 14 oz/yd² polyethelyene fabric is the best material available in the marketplace. Other building manufacturers will use 10 or 12 oz/yd² fabrics. These lighter weight fabrics are appropriate for some applications, but for the strength and longevity, the heavier weight material is superior.
Covering System
For the past 4 years Accu-Steel has moved exclusively to an individual bay covering system using Keder attachements. We find this solution provides the customers with less maintenance and higher levels of satisfaction. The benefits of this system include:
- Each building bay has its own cover. If a cover is damaged you can easily replace one bay versus the entire building cover.
- Keder covers have no friction on the truss system to rub a weak spot in the fabric. Monolithic covers have a friction point on each rafter.
- Risk prevention/avoidance: If something should damage your cover, replacing one or two individual bay covers will be significantly less expensive than replacing the entire cover.
- All maintenance is done at ground level versus having to tighten straps in the middle of the buildings.
- We use only coated steel cable in our covers to anchor them to the foundation. Cable does not unravel like rope or other inferior methods.
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This building is on a 12' cast-in-place foundation. |
Foundation Options
Larger buildings require cast-in-place foundations. Again, there are many options to consider when looking at this type of foundation. We can consult with you and use our years of experience to ensure your project is delivered at the lowest total cost and the highest possible quality.
Who are you Buying From?
Accu-Steel is based in Western Iowa. We believe in purchasing from American companies and supporting American businesses whenever possible. While our base fabric is imported (we have not found an American supplier with a suitable product), every other material component and all of our labor is American.
We produce buildings for the US Government as well as for numerous state and local governmental agencies. We believe that the taxpayers dollars should support other American enterprises as much as possible.
If American manufacturing and business ownership matters to your purchasing decision, please check where your building is being manufactured.
