SpanMaster Structures

High quality engineered truss arch structures with tensioned membrane covers. — Photo courtesy SpanMaster

SpanMaster Structures is a phoenix from the ashes of Cover-All Buildings Systems, once the premier industrial shelter manufacturer. Cover-Alls still dot the mining and construction landscape; they are still considered a viable building. Having retained many of the company’s staff and owners, SpanMaster also offers repairs and maintenance for these buildings.

“Cover-All was the biggest player in the steel and fabric industry, period,” said Brian Sweet, co-owner and Interior sales representative. “We were one of the most successful dealers before the manufacturer went away.”

Sweet said the whole steel and fabric industry has gone through a metamorphosis since then in the ways the fabric is finished and how the steel is treated. His company, co-owned with Robert Lutgendorf and Barry Hicks, has stayed on top of these changes, offering a product line for almost every application.

“Britespan has post-production, hot-dip galvanizing,” said Sweet. “Trusses are manufactured prior to the hot-dip galvanizing process. The post-production galvanizing process completely coats both the inside and outside of the tubing. This is a superior product and the best in corrosive environments.”

Legacy offers rigid frame I-beam construction in solid steel with the strength normally reserved for only metal buildings. These structures offer widths of 300 feet and sidewalls from six to over 100 feet high with side openings that have natural eaves to ensure snow is launched off the roof, rather than landing beside the building and leaking in. Legacy sheds the restrictions of most building manufacturers and creates buildings to the inch in any direction. These structures have a more conventional peaked roof appearance.

SpanMaster Structures also recently added Robertson Metal Buildings to its roster - a 150-year-old Canadian company that manufactures all-metal conventional I-beam construction engineered buildings.

SpanMaster’s solutions always take into consideration the specific needs of a project. “In our project management we are constantly looking to see problems up front and solve them before they become an issue,” said Sweet. “Part of that is having more manufacturers than anyone in the game based on their different types and designs of the structures.”

Customers also count on the SpanMaster team as problem-solvers. A case in point is a recent job where a 20-foot-wide and 32-foot-high door was required on a shelter that would accommodate a railcar driving through the centre.

“Because of the location and environmental issues there was only so many ways to make the foundation for the structure,” said Sweet. “We stacked megablocks four high and designed and built the structure with a leg to go on top of the blocks. They said it couldn’t be done, but it’s done.”

“We’re also expanding,” he said. “We are working with Alan Goode of Northern Acreage as a subdealer in Prince George. We want to make sure we have coverage across the province to back up our commitment of strong customer service.”