Calhoun Super Structure

Head Office
3702 Bruce County Rd 10
Tara, ON N0H 2N0
Canada

Website Email

Products and Services

THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS

For almost 30-years, Calhoun Super Structure has designed, engineered, and manufactured fabric structures for any industry or application. We offer profiles as small as 16' wide to as large as 250', and for any length.

What makes us unique is our proprietary 3D Nonlinear FEA to validate the engineering of our structures for your unique location. By deeply analysing various snow loads, wind speed, and seismic conditions, our method maintains the highest level of sophistication for a highly reliable facility. With local representation across North America, our extensive dealer network is ready to serve you. We’ve thought of everything, from the strength of your structure, to the longevity of your investment, to a 25-year warranty we stand behind.

WE UNDERSTAND FABRIC

At Calhoun, we understand the mechanics and properties of fabric. We don’t make assumptions and we don’t treat fabric like rigid steel panels. Many fabric structure companies fail to take an in-depth look into the mechanics of fabric using a linear analysis. A common contributor to increased wear and tear on fabric is when fabric companies apply a linear analysis when engineering their fabric structure, causing the fabric to bow and take a shape in indirect proportion to the weight of environmental loads. This results in unnecessary repairs and replacements sooner.

Calhoun is unique in that we have developed specialized analysis which models the shape of fabric under load. By accurately determining various environmental loads that are applied to your steel structure, we use a non-linear analysis. Calhoun’s approach ensures the optimal design of the steel is determined for your fabric covered building, reducing total cost.

LARGE STRENGTH-TO-DENSITY RATIO

Calhoun’s fabric buildings are made of engineered high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fabric manufactured from 12 oz per square yard in weight, and 24 mil thick. Known for its large strength-to-density ratio (which can range from 930 to 970 kg/m3), HDPE provides stronger intermolecular forces and tensile strength than other tension fabric membranes.

HDPE fabric is manufactured into a woven sheet-form and then coated on both sides with a specialized, thick protective layer that aides in protecting against UV damage. HDPE offers increased protection against abrasion during fabrication, installation, and everyday use.

The use of heavier fabrics are not cost effective or easy to handle in the manufacturing or installation process. Cutting corners to cut costs will put critical assets at risk.

FABRIC IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE STRUCTURE UNDER IT

When designing fabric structures it is critical to take into consideration the strength and design of the building as a whole. At Calhoun we apply our unique 3D Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to engineer our fabric structures site-specific to suit our customers’ unique locations.

Reputable fabric structures companies will work with their network of sales teams or dealers to obtain site photos and site topography with the orientation and location of the marked building. This allows the fabric structure’s engineers to begin the process of evaluating the site conditions. The site evaluation ensures that the appropriate parameters are used for the analysis of the structure. The configuration of the building is thereby validated, or changes are made to ensure the structure has the requisite reliability for the site. A fabric structures company should use external, third-party engineers to review all structures to avoid company bias and ensure the strict objectivity of the design work.

All of Calhoun’s fabric structures are reviewed by independent third-party structural engineers, and provide stamped engineered drawings for every building we produce.