Remote - Fall 2013 - (Page 18)

Feature Article Building Flexibility Remote Sites can get Enhanced Value from Custom Engineered Tension Fabric Structures Ben Fox, President Legacy Building Solutions Look around anywhere these days, and you’ll find a pretty consistent theme – getting more for your money. Certainly the lingering effects of the global economic downturn is one reason for this, but another major factor is that consumers have become more adept at using technology to gather more information, thereby becoming better educated on what they’re getting before making a purchase. In heavy production industries, this emphasis on value has made a significant impact on equipment offerings. “Standard” machines may be a long way from completely disappearing, but certain applications have gradually turned more and more toward customized solutions that allow end users to receive truly unique benefits from their investments. Given the challenging demands of oil and gas exploration, mining, and other remote site applications, equipment manufacturers have been ahead of the curve when it comes to delivering machines and auxiliary products that not only can tackle a specific task, but can fit the exact operating requirements for a given company. While many advancements over the past decade have been focused on production machines and vehicles, many companies and government entities have more recently turned some attention toward other aspects of their operations, such as tension fabric buildings used for mineral processing, material storage, equipment maintenance and environmental remediation. Fabric buildings themselves aren’t new to the remote operations industry. In fact, it’s commonplace for large sites to have multiple fabric structures. Historically, however, users have been limited to “standard” building offerings. Only in the past few years has new engineering and technology emerged that allows fabric structures to be developed for specific productivity and efficiency demands. Customizable Engineering The design of tension fabric buildings took a big leap forward just three years ago when rigid frame engineering was introduced to the industry, replacing hollow-tube, open web-truss framing that had traditionally been featured on fabric structures. Although web truss was a useful framing solution for many years, opinions on the quality of web truss design were always very subjective from building to building, and from manufacturer to manufacturer. By contrast, rigid frame design is universally accepted within the engineering community. The advantages of rigid frame fabric buildings actually extend well beyond structural integrity. Companies who have come to expect customizability from equipment can now apply the same thinking to their building needs. Web truss structures often had the feel of being just a basic weather protection device, such as a surge pile cover, and generally were limited to standard sizes that the building manufacturer carried in stock. Rigid frame engineering allows a building to be constructed from the beginning in a way that perfectly suits a site’s functions, with customizable dimensions based on individual demands. With structural beam design, users can specify the exact building width, 18 www.RemoteMagazine.com length and height they require – literally down to the inch. Offset peaks, multi-level legs and other unique features can be easily incorporated. The structure’s design can allow for taller wall heights and peak heights, which are ideal for maintenance shops that need to regularly accommodate massive trucks and other large pieces of equipment. The conventional shape of a rigid frame building itself provides practical benefits as well. The traditional web truss building shape is an arch, so the structure’s curved walls tend to create some unusable space along the sidewalls. Thanks to the use of I-beams, rigid frame fabric buildings have straight sidewalls, enabling every square inch of the building footprint to be used. This is particularly advantageous for remote locations where the surrounding landscape offers limited space for a structure to be placed. In addition to better space utilization, rigid frame engineering makes it simple to add doors of any shape or size to the sidewalls and end walls of the building, something that’s very difficult to accomplish on traditional tension fabric structures. With larger doors in place, vehicles and equipment are much more easily able to maneuver in and out of the building. Durability Demands The environmental challenges for exploration equipment in particular are far ranging, from rough terrain causing jarring vibrations on machines to bitterly cold climates straining truck engines. Buildings, like equipment, must also be able to withstand extreme conditions. Engineering for high wind or snow loads is another advantage afforded by the flexibility of rigid frame design. Building plans can be adjusted from the start to account for specific user requirements and local codes. If a heavier snow load is needed, for example, the manufacturer can simply narrow the planned width for bay spacing between frames, thereby helping the fabric hold the necessary load. Web truss structures usually rely on thicker cords and webs to increase durability, but the added steel typically drives the price higher than a similar building engineered with a rigid frame. The actual tensioning and installation of fabric to a structure is another important factor in the durability of a building. Having the ability to add fabric panels in straight lines on an I-beam makes it easier to ensure that proper vertical and horizontal tension is applied. By comparison, stretching fabric over the curves of a web truss frame can distort the scrim and crack the fabric’s coating, possibly leading to premature failure down the road. The size of the fabric panels is also critical when it comes to meeting specified loads. If a 160-foot-long building has a roof comprised of just a few big pieces of fabric, securing it at the proper tension to handle snow or wind is rather difficult. Instead, if manageable 20-foot panels are used, there’s a much higher likelihood the fabric will be properly placed and secured. Operators in some exploration applications have a greater need for ruggedized equipment that will withstand the damaging effects of air contaminants and corrosion. Storage of salt, ore, concentrate, fertilizer or other materials can expose buildings to these corrosive elements as well, which http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - Fall 2013

Editor's Choice
Instrumentation for Produced Water Applications
Multi-touch SCADA Technology: Intuitive Functionality Advances Automation
The Use of Machine-to-Machine Communication in Environmental Impact Monitoring
Monitoring Electrical Properties of Pumps and Water Treatment Systems
Combining Sensors for Efficient Perimeter Protection
Building Flexibility
SCADA
Remote Conference Update
Networking
Security
Onsite Power
Industry News
Application Feature

Remote - Fall 2013