When considering the fabric cladding, the longevity issue becomes even more complex. There are so many different types of fabric and fabric coatings to choose from that care must be taken to ensure that comparisons are being made on a like for like basis. Beware of often lesser expensive and poor quality PE (polyethylene) or laminate claddings that will degrade quickly.
Rubb uses only the highest grades of coated PVC, flame retardant, high tenacity polyester which features a rip-stop structure weave to prevent tears. Rubb only uses 28oz/yd2(900g/m2) material with special coatings to protect against UV radiation to extend design life. Anything less should be questioned.
The fabric cladding on Rubb steel-framed structures has been proven to last at least 25 years before replacement becomes even a consideration. This, however, depends on environmental conditions and the corrosiveness of the materials stored inside.
An excellent example of a long-lived Rubb building is a structure built in 1975 for Peck & Hale in New York State. An outside laboratory tested a sample of fabric taken from the building that confirmed that the fabric’s self-extinguishing and flame retardant characteristics were still present and the tensile strength had been maintained — after 30+ years the only deterioration was a slight reduction in the fabric’s tear strength!
