Protecting Compost From the Elements with Fabric
Compost thrives in a controlled environment. Organic materials that are too dry or too wet will not break down, causing slower production and potentially a host of other problems.
Industrial composting operations do not have time for slower production. Serving customers and constituents requires a steady supply of organic matter that breaks down into fertile, rich soil and/or other feed stocks.
The solution is to erect a roof over your piles and reduce the amount of time, resources and (most importantly) money needed to maintain compost production. The roof keeps excess rain and precipitation off the piles, and allows you to manage the moisture content of your compost – without reducing capacity on your site.
Why are Legacy’s fabric buildings the best choice for covering compost, sludge, cake and other feed stocks?
Custom Design
Every Legacy building is customized to meet your specification. Some options for compost covers include roof-only structures, partially enclosed buildings with fabric gables or partial sidewalls, or fully enclosed buildings. Our expert design team can help design the best building for your operation.
The building is customizable in all three dimensions – length, width and height. This allows the precise amount of space required to turn windrows, as well as space for equipment to move in, out and within the building.
Passive ventilation systems are commonly added to Legacy buildings to introduce fresh air to the facility while releasing the entrapment of gases and unwanted humidity. This also mitigates corrosion and future maintenance. Mechanical ventilation systems can also be conventionally integrated into the building to address specific needs and circumstances.
Unlike vertical storage solutions or bins, Legacy buildings have design flexibility to allow your operation to grow and change. For example, simply changing the orientation of your windrows can result in increased capacity, as seen in this compost storage case study.
Corrosion Protection
Our exclusive ExxoTec™ PVC fabric is inert to corrosion, no matter the environment. While steel sheeted buildings are known to corrode, thin and weaken in the presence of moisture, gasses and chemicals, the fabric will withstand constant exposure to these elements with no loss of quality and durability.
The steel frames used by Legacy feature solid plate steel, which have no open cavities or unseen areas where corrosion can form undetected, providing a structure that can be visually inspected and upkept to ensure the structure is safe for long-term use.
Learn more about the benefits of Legacy's steel frame system.
All steel components are treated with a corrosion protection process that protects the building frame for decades. This, along with other available corrosion protection methods, allows Legacy to offer a frame warranty and extended life expectancy for virtually any application, making it possible to offer composting in any climatic condition or region.
UV Protection
Access to natural light is an important part of most industrial composting methods, as footprints are typically large and require continuous heavy machinery and operator traffic where lighting is a valuable safety asset and resource.
The outermost layer of ExxoTec™ fabric contains UV protectant which prevents the sun’s rays from harming the fabric and blocks/reflects the UV’s rays from promoting growth of the interior stored organics. All this is accomplished while still transmitting a substantial amount natural light on the visible spectrum through to the internal operations.
Legacy’s steel coating treatment process can also include a UV protection to extend the life of the structure’s finish. In pavilion style buildings, the frame is exposed to sunlight. The protective coating helps the building frame retain its quality and appearance for years.
Give your compost operation the environment it needs to transform into “nature’s money” with a fabric building by Legacy Building Solutions. With the strength and longevity of a steel frame and the energy efficiency of fabric cladding, your building will maximize your ROI for years to come.
See how Legacy helped Lee County, Florida, keep its compost dry with a custom storage solution!