Clean Run Magazine - June 2009 - 75

Pole buildings use wood trusses for the roof. The wider these trusses are the more your cost per square foot goes up. The breakpoint for cost in a pole building is 60' wide. If you go wider than 60' the trusses get a lot more expensive. If a full-size agility ring of 70'-80' wide is your goal, the cost of the pole building will increase significantly as you approach an optimum width for training purposes. You may have to reconsider whether a pole building is your best option at wider widths. The trusses are exposed and cause the building to have a lower ceiling height. The remedy is building higher side walls but this also adds cost. Additional lighting is required as compared to other construction styles. Because no natural light comes in through the pole building’s roof, you need more light fixtures. Whenever you use the building, day or night, you also must use electric lights. This use increases your initial building cost and your monthly electrical operating expense. Structural Steel Building Drive through any industrial park and you can see structural steel buildings. These buildings have large steel beams set on concrete foundations. The beams have more steel framing added and are covered with sheet metal. You can build very large buildings this way with no interior poles and high ceilings. If you’ve attended trials in a soccer facility, chances are you were in a structural steel building. Nationwide suppliers sell these buildings as a kit. You can then use a local builder to construct the building. The cost for this type of building is higher than other styles, but if you want a commercial-style construction with no size limitations then a steel building may work best for you. fabric Tension Building This construction style is likely the least well-known in the agility community, but fabric tension buildings are gaining popularity in agriculture, equine, and municipal uses. You can use fabric tension buildings anywhere you need to put a large area under a roof. These buildings are constructed by erecting welded steel trusses on a concrete foundation. After this framework is done, large sheets of plastic woven fabric are stretched over the framework, which creates a large space under cover. Advantages include cost, size, and no need for extra lighting during the day. Because fewer materials and less labor are involved, the cost per square foot is lower. Fabric tension buildings can be any size you need, creating a large barrier-free space. Since the fabric allows natural daylight in, the buildings are well-lit with no shadows in the daytime. Disadvantages include the expense to insulate the building, and also by doing so, you remove the natural lighting advantage during the day. In contrast, pole buildings and steel construction allow for easy addition of insulation at reasonable prices, making these buildings easier to heat or cool. For some, how the building looks from the outside is a disadvantage as well since the appearance is unique. Most agility folks will love the building when inside it. The space is light and there is a sense of almost being outside while still standing inside, out of the weather. At night, when lit, the entire building looks like a giant lighted tent from the outside. Some people find this appealing, some do not; but many people have not seen a similar look before. © Micky jeroMe June 09 © Mark Ford © Mark Bills A 72' x 88' wooden pole building with 12' high walls built by Mark and Robin Ford of Delta, Ohio. Mark said the cost was the deciding factor when choosing a pole building. Now that they have a building, Robin instructs a couple evenings a week, and they both can practice every day. David Bailey and Micky Jerome built this 100' x 150' steel structure building for their Quad City Dog Center in Davenport, Iowa. Micky reports that what they like best is the wide-open space with no poles in the way. They host “course nights” and rent their building to clubs for training and trials. A 70' x 200' Coverall brand fabric tension building attached to a 42' x 48' pole building built by the author. Lighting, size, and inside environment were the deciding factors that led to this building style. © cathi Winkles PhotograPhy © Micky jeroMe © Mark Ford | Clean Run 75

Clean Run Magazine - June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - June 2009