Accu-Steel Company Blog

Alternative to quality

One of the challenges of any consumer is to understand the differences in the products that are similar and are available.   Every day I read a leading marketing blog from Seth Godin. He is always making me rethink the way we discuss products and help people make good decisions.  Recently he posted something that hit home.  He said that when people don't differentiate between products, they purchase the  Cheapest Reliable Alternative Product. 

In meeting with a series of construction companies, I realized that many of these installers are a bit misinformed about the engineering of cover buildings as well as what the engineering means.  Because they do not fully understand the differences they may be leading you to purchase an inferior product.  A construction company does the installations and puts the trust in a manufacturer.  Sometimes this can lead them to make decisions for their own profit and not for the best value of the consumer.

As a consumer of a fabric covered building you will want to make sure you ask a lot of questions about engineering and stability.  Make sure you know the following at a minimum:

1. Is the engineering specific to my particular site, or is this a generic stamp?
2. Does the engineering design end at the point where the building meets the foundation or are the foundation AND Cover Building included in the calculations?
3. What code is the engineer reviewing this under?
4. Are deductions for use taken?
5. If the cover loses its tension, will the steel be stable?
6. What safety factors were used in the calculations?
7. Does the engineer adhere to the 2009 NIST recommendations for fabric structures?

These are fairly complex questions.  If you have any question as to what any of this means, please give us a call at 877-338-6936 or post a comment here and we will be glad to answer any question you have.