Frequently Asked Questions

• Fabric structures give you the flexibility to relocate your building in the future, rather than write-off your asset, if you have to move, you can take it with you.
• The fabric has no radiant heat, unlike iron. It is more like working under a shady tree rather than stewing in a hot box.
• The structures are simple to install and can be installed by people with good handyman skills, ideal for remote sites where qualified building labour may be scarce.
• They are light and compact when compared with a traditional structures. This makes transport efficient.

• Regular sized container mounted structure can sometimes be leased from the manufacturer on a 6 month plus basis. These fabric structures have to be transported back to the factory at the end of the lease, checked and brought back to new standard, before being leased again.
• Sometimes it is better to purchase the fabric structure and start advertising it several months before you want to sell it. It increases your selling price if the purchaser can see the structure in use. Taurus can help you with second hand sales.
• If you wish to lease the structure yourself, so it is a tax deductable operating expense rather than a capital expense, we have brokers who are comfortable in doing this.

• Container mounted structures – The shipping containers give you the option of secure storage, offices, workshops, bunded fuel/oil storage, first aid, ablutions/shower blocks etc... This gives you flexibility and compactness in your work centre. These are ideal for workshops, hangars and storage.
• Fabric to the ground, with an external post brace and separate fabric walls. These are ideal when you do not want to use containers, or if you want a structure you can shift in the future. These are often used for aircraft hangars where there is no security of tenure or for short term storage projects, as they can be relocated. At the moment these structure need a slab or piers to be secured to the ground. Earth anchors are a work in progress.
• Structures mounted on posts rather than containers. These are good where space is limited or for purpose built roofing between existing structures.
• The towable range on wheels. Often in the mining industry there are truck tubs and digging buckets that weigh many tons which need extensive hard facing on a regular basis. It makes sense to drag a 2 ton shelter to the work rather than take a 20 ton item to the workshop, which may have to be moved before completion due to other more pressing priorities. The shelters are also very useful for welding pipes in the field. These shelters are very robust.
• Large structures 40m or more wide can be engineered to support overhead conveyors. These are ideal for large grain or multi purpose storage depots.

There are two main types of fabric used in fabric structures:

• Polyethylene – this is the main type of fabric which is used, it was developed in Australia for the big wheat stockpiles and is made in Australia and overseas. It has a high strength to weight ratio with the standard weight being 260gsm and the heavier grade for the larger structures (20m+ wide) 320gsm. This makes them lighter to transport, handle and pull over the structures. They can be repaired with repair kits. Life is typically 15-20+ years. Polyethylene is not flame rated unless specifically treated. It does not burst into flames, rather shrivels back on itself when exposed to flames.
• PVC is normally flame rated and is used in large structures, public building such as pavilions, where there is a fire risk from the work carried out inside or where regular burn-offs close to the buildings, such as on tropical airfields. Heavy PVC fabrics are often used in the very large buildings.
• We can source specialty fabrics for your particular needs if required. This can include total blackout fabrics and internal liners for insulation or aesthetic reasons. We can also have internal sacrificial liners in dealing with hazardous materials. At the end of the project the internal liner is carefully removed and disposed of as hazardous waste with the main structure ready for reuse in the next project.

• Normally 260gsm or 320 gsm polyethylene will last 15-20+ years depending on the severity of the weather and UV intensity. The replacement cost is normally 20-30% of the structure cost.
• PVC in the 600gsm range will have a 10-15 year life, with the 800gsm to 1500gsm fabrics having a 15-30 year life.

• The Allshelter shelters are designed and manufactured in Australia, plus some of the larger structures are made in Australia.
• Shelters can be sourced from USA, Asia and Europe depending on the client’s needs, however shipping costs which have risen eightfold in 2021 can be considerable.

• Yes we have exported structures from Australia to New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, Indonesia and Africa.
• For large structures in Europe or the Middle East we can do the engineering and covers in Australia but have the steel work done closer to the end destination to save on transport costs.

• The polyethylene is a tight weave product with non tear characteristics. If the fabric is damaged we can supply a repair kit.
• After a few months polyethylene the surface of fabric will be affected by UV and will not be suitable for welding.
• PVC clad structures can have damaged covers repaired on site using a heat gun and roller.

• In Australia Allshelter have been producing fabric structures since 1999 and overseas they have been used over for several decades longer.

• All single cord frames are made from square SHS or rectangular section steel depending on size that is coated with Zincalume.
• Large frames ~30+m are normally a web truss, and if they have to be transported long distances they can have bolted web trusses which are made on site and more compact to transport.
• The large frame can be curved or have vertical sides and a pitched roof, depending on the application.

• All structures come with engineers plans, are designed to the wind requirement of your region and are acceptable for council planning regulations. In extreme bushfire prone areas they may be extra requirements in terms of flammability.

• All councils are different so it is best to check with your council prior to installing your shelter. • Remember you cannot get a permit retrospectively, so if someone complains you will have to remove the shelter before you can get a permit.
• Some councils have time limits for temporary buildings, which are usually classed as buildings without foundations

• On your plans there will be a design for footings and alternately the weight of ballast you will need to secure you structure to the ground. The footings may be concrete piers or bolting to your slab with Chemset bolts. Ballast could be concrete blocks along the sides, inside the shipping containers or fixed underneath the containers.

• This frequently asked question comes up often as many people underestimate the strength of tensioned fabric.
• All shelters are engineered to your specific wind conditions. If they are 10km or closer to the coast they will be a Terrain Category 1, which lifts them up to the next region rating. This is because wind tends to gain speed traveling over flat surfaces.
• The dome structures have very little shear pressure from the side, the forces are mainly uplift, and as such they need to be secured to the ground or weighed down.
• A 16m wide shelter requires ~755kg (~1,664lb) of ballast per meter of each 40’ container in Region A 41m/sec (148kph) wind speed areas.

• This is a frequently asked question and it varies with both size and also if there is wind, which can slow the process down considerably.
• A container mounted CASA12/12A (12mx12m) or a ACLS hanger type 12m x 12m would typically take 3 people 2 days without rushing.
• The large structures, say a 26m wide x 50m long will take about a week on a prepared site with a 4-5 man team.

• Taurus supplies supervisors or full install teams around the world.
• Taurus also works with Allshelter in providing install teams.
• All Taurus installation staff are trained and ticketed to operate on industrial and mine sites.
• Post Covid install personnel are over committed so sometimes it takes time before we can install a fabric structure.

•  In extreme corrosion environments we can double galvanise or use specialist powder coated finished to ensure your steel structure has a long life.
• The fabrics are generally resistant to most corrosive substances. In extreme corrosive situations in storage facilities our engineers will advise the best fabric to use.

• Allshelter provides a 10 year reducing warranty on the structures and polyethylene covers. The PVC fabrics can have up to a 15 year warranty for some of the heavier fabrics.

•  Insulation blankets or acoustic mats can be put on top of mesh over the frames prior to the cover being installed.

• Broadly inland and southern Australia is Region A, with Region B starting on the coast at Coffs Harbour in NSW and finishing past Geraldton in WA up to 100km inland, Region C Starts near Bundaberg and follows the coast to north of Geraldton mainly 50km in from the coast except in the Port Headland Karratha area which are Region D for the first 50 km. Click for indicative wind rating map.
• Wind ratings:

»Region A 41 m/sec 148 kph; 89 mph

»Region B 51.9 m/sec 188 kph; 113 mph

»Region C 64.5 m/sec 230 kph; 138 mph

»Region D 76 m/sec 273 kph; 164 mph

• Sites within ten km of the coast will require a Terrain Category One instead of Terrain Category Two. This has the effect of lifting your Region rating to the next Region up, e.g. From Region C to Region D in a Queensland cyclone Region.
• In a very exposed positions, typically on the ridges of hills or in wind prone valleys it is a cheap insurance policy to go to the Region above your geographic are Region. Valleys that funnel wind can increase the velocity of the wind
• Always check with your local building authority as to the wind rating engineering requirements applicable to your particular area.