The primary advantage of a free span building is its cavernous size. Big enough to house a fleet of aircraft, if that’s what you need. It can accommodate equipment or activities that require high ceilings as well as long, uninterrupted floor space and, with that, any sort of interior configuration you need. At Legacy Building Solutions, tension fabric long span buildings enable full customization in every respect, for maximum functionality and convenience.
But what about operating costs? A fabulous building that racks up high costs over time will not deliver the return on investment you’re hoping for. Daily operations and maintenance can strain your budget and unnecessarily waste staff and management time, degrading the value of your building and cutting into productivity. No one wants that, so it is imperative to minimize operating costs.
Legacy free span buildings deliver the most bang for your buck, up front and over time.
Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation
Fully custom design includes meeting your HVAC specifications. Buildings are air-tight, eliminating drafts around windows and doors and ensuring whatever HVAC system you choose can perform efficiently. If desired, interior walls can be lined, with or without insulation.
However, you may not even need that traditional HVAC system, and that could be a significant money-saver. After all, traditional ductwork is costly to install and maintain. Instead, Legacy free span buildings have built-in efficiencies:
- Passive ventilation–the right number of vents, strategically placed–is often all you need to ensure sufficient air circulation. In applications where air quality may be a safety concern due to the presence of chemicals, dust, or other contaminants, proper passive ventilation can minimize any “booster” equipment needed.
- ExxoTecTM fabric cladding helps control temperatures year-round indoor comfort because it is inherently non-conductive. On the other hand, steel buildings notoriously conduct heat and cold through the roof and walls, making year-round heating and cooling mandatory and driving up operating costs.
Lighting
With 12% translucence, our white ExxoTecTM tension fabric allows so much natural light to penetrate uninsulated walls that many operations can function comfortably without any additional daytime lighting. In other applications, that translucence can reduce the need for artificial lighting. Depending on your design and building purpose, you may save money on the initial installation of lighting systems as well as the cost and time for maintenance, bulb replacement, etc.
Our fabric not only optimizes daylight to save energy and money, but it also supports your organization’s commitment to sustainability. That generates employee and public goodwill, an important benefit businesses often overlook. And that’s not all. Our fabric buildings are eco-friendly in other ways as well.
Upkeep
ROI depends on building longevity, and that means budgeting for upkeep. However, high maintenance costs can effectively erase your ROI.
Metal buildings rust. Stored commodities such as fertilizer or salt, wet climates, and salty marine environments all hasten corrosion. Traditional hot dip galvanizing slows the process but cannot prevent the inevitable, so when metal building components become compromised due to corrosion, they must be refurbished or replaced. It’s an expensive, unwieldy process.
Legacy long span buildings are constructed with a solid steel I-beam framework that is far less vulnerable to corrosion than hollow web trusses. When treated with one of our proprietary EpoxxiShieldTM epoxy coatings, framework components exhibit dramatically less corrosion compared to HDG. Any affected areas can be repaired easily on-site without disrupting your entire operation. And, by the way, our tension fabric is inherently noncorrosive.
Sometimes, Mother Nature delivers more than moisture. Our buildings are designed to withstand weather extremes -- hurricanes and derecho winds, heavy snow loads, and more. The ability to avoid or minimize storm damage helps keep your building up and running and it keeps unforeseen repairs off your books.
Fabric is easy to keep clean, requiring little to no maintenance while ensuring your building continues to make a proud visual statement about your enterprise.
Savings Start Right Away
Minimizing operating costs is a long-term goal. First, though, owners want to keep construction costs down -- without sacrificing quality or features. The less time it takes to get your building up and running, the more you can save on labor costs. And the sooner you can start generating revenue or boosting productivity with your new space.
Legacy free span buildings are ROI-friendly right from the start because they can be constructed in far less time than traditional structures. And every one of them wins the cost-control trifecta: customizable to fit any location or application, energy efficient, and undemanding when it comes to maintenance.
