Rubb Fabric Building News

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Rubb has recently completed a structure covering the launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility for the MLAS (Max Launch Abort System) project.  The BVE-range building is 50 feet in length, width and height.  The 25-ton building is equipped with Hilman rollers that allow it to be retracted 200 feet from the launch pad in under thirty minutes.  This tight-timeframe project had to be finished in time to meet the launch schedule, currently set for 6:15 am EDT on July 8, 2009.  The launch status will be updated online through Twitter at http://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops.

View Rubb’s project press release by clicking here.

Among the more interesting uses of Rubb buildings is in the construction of horse riding enclosures. While the traditional barn still remains very popular, several features of Rubb buildings make them very appealing for housing horses.

For example, the translucent roof creates a very pleasant interior environment which reduces interior daylight needs and is comforting both horse and rider alike. As with all Rubb structures, the buildings are rapidly erected and can be built on challenging sites and partial foundations.

Aesthetically, a Rubb horse riding enclosure can look like one of our standard buildings in signature Rubb blue, or be customized to fit into a regional environment or to match existing buildings. One especially interesting example was when Rubb worked with Ironstone Farm Founder Richard Donovan to create a riding enclosure for Challenge Unlimited that resembled a traditional New England style barn.

Whether you are looking for an independent enclosure for professional horse riding, a convenient and flexible expansion to an existing building, or a versatile facility suitable both for stabling and riding, a Rubb sports building is a perfect solution.

Rubb Inc. recently observed the lift and transport of a Rubb BVE range structure. East Coast construction firm, Cianbro Inc., needed to move the Rubb building from a site in South Portland to one in Portland, Maine. A mobile crane moved the 10-ton building across a construction yard and a floating crane lifted the building onto a barge platform. The barge and accompanying building then crossed the ½ mile wide Fore River to the Portland site. The lift and transport of the building finished in roughly four hours.

The video (to the right) shows the process of lifting the building off the construction yard and onto the barge. A full video of the Rubb building lift and transport is obtainable upon request.

The fact that Rubb buildings are easily relocatable sometimes leads to confusion about whether our structures are intended for temporary or permanent use. Especially considering the poor longevity of other fabric-covered buildings on the market, some buyers express concerns about the long-term viability of membrane-clad structures. Unlike competing structures, however, Rubb structure are well-suited for long term use for any number of purposes.

A case in point is the Rubb structure pictured to the right. This SH15 type Rubb Hall has been by used Bergen Yards Halsnøy AS, a Norway-based shipbuilder, for over thirty years. Located on the west coast of Norway, the structure has been subjected to no shortage of harsh weather in its tenure. This 15m wide, 44m long, and 3m side wall structure uses a 3.1m high x 3.8m wide door for easy access by personnel and lift equipment. The building contains racking and has been used as for general storage since its construction in the early 1970s.

The post-fabrication hot-dipped galvanized steel frame is in excellent condition, and even more impressive is that it uses the original fabric covering. This extraordinary life-span is accounted for by our commitment to only the highest quality PVC-coated, flame retardant, high tenacity polyester, with a rip-stop structure weave to prevent tears. We use only the highest quality fabrics and topcoats, and apply various coatings to the finished product based on the expected usage of the structure and budget of the project. Our uncompromising commitment to quality is exemplified by structures like the one mentioned above and a New York, USA structure used by Peck & Hale, also in use since the early 1970s.

Whatever the application of your building — from storage, to aircraft maintenance, to remediation buildings — a Rubb building is a valuable long-term investment.

After nearly thirty years of business, Rubb continues to be a strong presence in our native Norway. The Norwegian Branch of Rubb sells shelters and buildings throughout Norway, as well as other parts of Eastern Europe, Asia and locations even further afield. Our structures from the beginning have been designed to withstand the hard winds and snows of Norway, and this fact is known very well to Norwegians, where our buildings are known as “rubbhalls.”

One such structure was recently delivered to Bergen Interkommunale Renovasjonsselskap Privat AS (BiR Privat AS). BiR is the largest refuse collector on the West coast of Norway and are headquartered in the city of Bergen. We met BiR Privat AS’s need for a flexible and rugged storage building for refuse bins with a customized RHA shelter.

The 10m wide x 21m long shelter pictured is is similar to our THA shelters, but with an upgraded framework to suit the harsh Norwegian winters. To suit the need for flexibility, we added a door to the structure on each end measuring 4.5 wide x 4.1m high. This allows access to both ends of the shelter allowing maximum logistical flexibility.

Uniquely suited to the climate and with great functionality, BiR Privat AS should expect decades of reliable and trouble-free storage from this structure.

Nowhere does the durability and relocatability of our structures experience such strong a test as with our products made for military use. Military forces require products that can suffer through international travel, hazardous conditions and harsh environments while providing consistently excellent service. One of our products that meets those needs is the RES, or Rapid Environmental Shelter.

The RES is designed as a semi-permanent addition to remote air bases or operational air stations and has been used to house everything from transport vehicles to helicopters and fighter jets. It is designed to protect vehicles from adverse weather conditions and even provides a degree of insulation, with a U-Value of 1.08W/m3 K thanks to state of the art insulation material. Furthermore, it features Zone 1 lighting, emergency lighting, navigation lights and lightning protection.

Like all Rubb products, the RES is designed for easy relocatability and in this case packs into two 20ft ISO containers, with a third for the erection and assembly kit. The innovative construction of the RES eliminates the need for mechanical handling equipment, and a team of eight can assemble the entire structure in only eight hours.

One of the more interesting features of the RES is its capability to use the electric Fast Jet Door (FJD) system. The FJD opens from the base upwards and across the full span at each end of the shelter, while accommodating two pedestrian access and fire doors at the sidewalls.

Whether used for aircraft maintenance, storage, or shelter, the RES is designed to confront the harshest environments on earth and typically does. The photo to the right shows the RES in action, set up at a site in Afghanistan.