Can your storage fabric structure withstand all weather conditions?

In recent years, Central Europe has also experienced an increasing number of severe weather events that we are not accustomed to. More recently, we have seen extreme weather such as hail, heavy rainfall, strong winds, mini-tornadoes, heavy snowfall and similar events more frequently.

When these events occur, owners of storage fabric structures and industrial tent halls must also ask whether the building or the stored materials could be damaged. The fact is that industrial tent halls of different quality and price ranges are available on the market, and not all of them are suitable for heavy snow and wind loads, which means they are not winter-proof. When constructing a storage fabric structure, even a simple warehouse, you should verify that its steel structure has been calculated for you specific site and provides the required load-bearing capacity for snow and wind loads.

Snow loads on storage buildings

Warehouses are designed to protect materials or products in all weather conditions throughout the year. They must therefore have a sufficiently strong structure to withstand the additional weight of snow in winter.

Snow guards on the tent hall and a projecting canopy protecting the area beside the tent hall in Switzerland

We have developed a completely new product: the Schwarzmann X® flat-roof tent hall. It has a minimum slope of 2° and parapets at the gable ends, giving it the appearance of a conventional hall. At the same time, it remains a walkable storage building covered with a durable PVC membrane on which snow can remain on the roof.

The Schwarzmann X® tent hall easily withstands the weight of snow

Insulated warehouses that can be heated efficiently are commonly used to store temperature-sensitive goods and materials. These storage buildings are winter-proof because they provide excellent working and storage conditions even at extremely low temperatures.

An insulated warehouse provides excellent storage and working conditions even in cold winter temperatures

Insulated steel structure

As with snow loads, wind loads must take the site-specific conditions into account, and the structure’s wind resistance must be calculated correctly. In areas with extreme wind conditions, it is particularly important that the tent hall uses a sufficiently high-quality PVC membrane, properly attached to the structure, and capable of withstanding deformation caused by strong gusts.

Schwarzmann fabric structures also withstand extreme wind conditions in exposed areas – a few years ago, we built a large fabric structure warehouse in Australia. It covers 1,825 m2 and  13.5 m high. It is in the Gladstone region on Australia’s east coast, 500 km north of Brisbane. A special structural requirement was adapting the steel structure to local conditions with extremely strong winds – gusts of up to 284 km/h.

PVC membranes are not damaged by water and heavy rainfall

We are often asked whether a tent hall can protect stored materials or parked vehicles from hail or heavy downpours. Based on our experience, we can confirm that our tent halls provide 100% protection against hail and heavy rainfall thanks to the quality of the PVC membrane, the fabric welding and the way the membrane is fastened to the structure.

Car dealers are increasingly choosing to protect their vehicles with covered parking in the form of a fabric structure car park. These solutions are economic, quick to deliver, visually appealing and capable of covering large areas without intermediate columns. Covered car parks provide protection and better sales conditions in all weather conditions (sun, rain, snow and hail).

Covered parking for vehicle sales – protection against hail, heavy rain and snow

If you need a winter-proof storage tent hall or commercial building and are concerned about weather conditions at your location, please contact us. We can provide a solution that considers both your functional requirements and the local characteristics associated with extreme weather events.

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