Insulating Properties of Fabric Structures

Big Top’s fabric structures offer numerous advantages over brick-and-mortar buildings, one being natural climate control. Though it may seem like there is less opportunity for insulation in our shelters, they nonetheless vastly outpace permanent buildings in terms of thermal performance. Here’s why our fabric structures are so energy efficient:

UV-Reflective Fabric Cover

The signature feature of a Big Top building is the fabric cover, which is formulated to repel 99.95% of UV-A and UV-B radiation. That’s an outstanding level of thermal performance! Thanks to the fabric cover, our shelters naturally maintain a pleasant interior temperature that is, on average, 15 degrees warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than the temperature outside. This means that companies that own a Big Top fabric structure do not need to run artificial climate control around the clock to maintain the comfort of their workers—a significant saving of energy expenses when compared to heating or cooling a permanent building.

A Comfortable Staff Is a Productive Staff

Safely sheltered from rain, snow, and sun, your employees will be comfortable as they go about their daily tasks inside your fabric structure, and they’ll require fewer breaks. And you can rest easy knowing your fabric structure will stand strong in even the most volatile weather thanks to its ultra-durable galvanized steel frame.

Naturally Illuminated

Another great feature of the fabric cover is that it is translucent. Sunlight floods the interior, providing ample light for warehousing, manufacturing, and other applications. This means that no electric lighting is required during daytime operations, further helping businesses save on energy costs.

HVACs & Insulation

Though our fabric structures are naturally ventilated and climate controlled, a more insulated interior may be necessary for companies that work with environmentally sensitive materials and equipment. At Big Top, we custom design our temporary buildings to meet unique business needs. We can equip your building with an HVAC system, overhead fans, and extra insulation to create the exact climate for your business needs.

Custom Solutions

In fact, there are numerous accessories we can add to your building, including doors, flooring, internal partitions, lightning protection, and more. The size of your fabric structure can range from 20 to 174 feet wide and nearly any length, and we can engineer it for heavy wind and snow loads for extra protection against the elements.

Other Benefits

In addition to superior thermal performance, our fabric structures offer other advantages over permanent buildings, including:

• They cost less and take less time to build—they can be erected at a rate of 2,500 square feet per day.
• They are mobile and can be moved around your property intact with a crane. They can also be disassembled and shipped to a new location.
• They may earn you tax advantages from the IRS.

Learn More From Big Top

For more information about the impressive thermal performance of our naturally climate-controlled fabric structures, contact Big Top today.