Engineered Fabric Structures for Marinas

When marine companies need shelters for shipbuilding, ship maintenance, or boat storage, they know to turn to Big Top fabric structures. Our shelter solutions offer many unique advantages that make them ideal for use on marinas. In fact, our temporary buildings are often used as shipyard support structures, dry dock covers, barge and cargo enclosures, sandblasting and painting facilities, and other key applications to the marine industry. Our fabric structures are:

Easily Deployed

Big Top’s fabric shelters do not require a concrete pad as a foundation and can be anchored to nearly anything, even empty shipping containers, which marine companies find particularly convenient. Anchoring a Big Top fabric structure to stacks of containers not only adds height but also square footage, as the space within the containers can be used as offices or other rooms that are vital to the marine operations being carried out within the shelter. They can also be erected at a rate of 2,500 square feet per day and do not require an outside contractor for deployment.

Equipped With Custom Accessories

Rather than offer one-size-fits-all buildings, Big Top custom-designs our fabric structures to meet individual needs. For maritime operations, we can equip a shelter with:

• Containment for blasting and painting – We can include fans, ventilation, and an air-scrubbing system to remove contaminants and fumes from the air, as well as EPA-approved containment for blasting materials, including Black Beauty abrasives.
• Rails for telescopic maneuverability – Shipbuilding companies that specialize in block construction opt for a rail system that allows the fabric cover to be slid open and closed, making it easy to load raw materials and remove finished parts by crane.
• Other accessories – Other options to consider for marine operations are personnel and bay doors, HVAC units for climate control, and lightning protection.

Designed for Outstanding Thermal Performance

The fabric cover of a Big Top structure is formulated to repel 99.95% of harmful UV-A and UV-B radiation, keeping employees, boats, and materials well protected from overexposure. This impressive thermal performance also helps to maintain an interior temperature that is, on average, 15 degrees cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than the temperature outside, ensuring crews are comfortable throughout the workday.

Naturally Illuminated

Another feature of the fabric cover is that it is translucent. This design allows natural light to fully illuminate the interior without aid from an electric lighting system, which can help marine companies save on energy costs.

Portable

Should operations at your marine company change, your Big Top building can adapt. For instance, if the shelter needs to be relocated within your current footprint, it can be moved intact with a crane. It can also be disassembled and shipped to a new location for future deployment.

Built for Lasting Performance

Big Top’s fabric structures are supported by an industrial-grade steel frame that is strong enough to stand the test of time. Additionally, our buildings can last for decades with little maintenance required, providing reliable shelters for all types of marine applications.

For more information about our fabric structures and how one can be designed to support the operations of your marine company, contact Big Top today.