Edge Inc.

🏗️ Since May is National Building Safety Month, it's the perfect time to remind ourselves of the importance of safety in construction!

At EDGE Innovates, we provide innovative solutions that enhance safety on job sites. Share your best safety tips below!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱…𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐅𝐏

Most facility RFPs are written with the answer already in them.

✔️ Concrete slab.
✔️ Steel frame.
✔️ Conventional roofing system.

The material decisions are included in the spec before bidding even begins.

That's not a criticism — it's just how procurement works, and how architects and contractors tend to operate within familiar territory.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 it means fabric structures often don't enter the conversation until after the key decisions have been made. By then, it's hard to revisit assumptions about foundation design, timeline, or cost.

The projects where fabric has delivered the most value are almost always the ones where it was considered early, when the question of what to build was still open.

If you're in early planning on a facility project, we're glad to be a resource — whether or not it ends up being a fit for fabric. Understanding all the options tends to produce better projects.

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 >>> https://hubs.li/Q04fHbdy0
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That's a wrap on 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱. Stay tuned — there's more to come from us on fabric structures, smart building decisions, and what buyers should know.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱…𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

One thing about fabric structures that rarely makes it into cost comparisons, but makes a big difference with buyers after they experience it:

☀️ 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

Engineered fabric membranes transmit and diffuse daylight across the entire interior. Not through skylights or windows, but through the roof and wall material itself.

The result is a bright, evenly lit space without the hot spots, glare, or maintenance concerns that come with glazing.

In warehousing and logistics, for example, reduced dependence on artificial lighting has a measurable 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.

It's not a feature that tends to drive the initial decision. But it's one that clients mention consistently when they reflect on what they value most about the structure.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱…𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞

Here's a question that doesn't come up often enough in facilities planning:
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔?

It's not a hypothetical concern. Operations expand. Leases end. Markets shift.

The facility that made sense at the start of a project can become a constraint before it's fully depreciated.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲:
• Concrete footings stay where they are
• Steel frames don't reconfigure without significant cost
• A building designed for one purpose resists becoming something else

𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲:
• Additional bays can be added without disturbing the existing structure
• The building can be disassembled and rebuilt at a new site
• The footprint can be modified as needs evolve

This adaptability has real value — and it's one of the things that surprises buyers who haven't worked with fabric before. The initial decision to build in fabric often looks better over time, not just at the moment of purchase.

It's something worth factoring in early, when the question of what to build is still open.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱…𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭

There's an assumption that tends to show up early in facilities planning conversations: that concrete and steel are permanent, and fabric isn't.

It's worth looking at that more closely.

High-performance fabric membranes (the kind used in engineered structures) are:
☀️ UV-stabilized
🔥 Fire-rated
🚀 Designed for decades of service
✔️ Extreme heat, cold, humidity, and wind ready

Meanwhile, conventional structures require ongoing maintenance of their own:
🚫 Roofs that need replacing
🚫 Steel that needs treating
🚫 HVAC systems that age out

There's also a flexibility dimension that concrete doesn't offer. Fabric structures can be extended, reconfigured, or relocated — which matters more than it used to in an era when business needs change faster than construction timelines.

Permanence has always been about engineering commitment, not material. That commitment is something we take seriously at Edge Innovates.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱... 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧

Most building decisions start with a budget.

Here's something worth knowing before that conversation gets too far along. ➡️ Fabric structures typically cost significantly 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 than conventional steel-frame equivalents - 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 40% 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵.

Not because they're a lesser product, but because 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.

• 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴
• 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴
• 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 ..all contribute to a lower total project cost. And those savings don't come at the expense of performance.

𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝-𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰-𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

For operations leaders weighing a new warehouse, storage facility, or covered workspace, it's worth putting fabric structures on the list before the RFP goes out. The comparison is more interesting than most people expect.

Continue to follow our series to learn about how fabric structures work, where they perform well, and what buyers should know going in.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱...𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜

When buyers compare fabric structures to conventional steel buildings, they're usually asking the wrong questions.

❔ The questions tend to be: 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳? 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦? 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦?

❓ The more useful questions are: 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦?

Both are steel-framed. The distinction is in how that steel is used.

𝐀 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬: heavy-gauge steel throughout, with metal roof and wall panels, deep foundation requirements, and the construction timeline that comes with all of that.

𝐀 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬: a lighter steel substructure engineered specifically for the tensioned membrane it supports.

That difference in how the steel works is what 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐩:
• Faster installation
• Lower foundation demands
• Longer clear spans at lower cost
• A cladding system that handles light, ventilation, and condensation very differently than metal panels do

𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬.

Knowing which one fits your situation — that's where 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩.

📞 888-490-5995 | ✉️ [email protected]

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱...a series

For the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some helpful tidbits on fabric structures.

If that's not a category you've thought much about, maybe it's time.

Fabric structures have been solving real problems for operations across oil & gas, mining, bulk storage, construction, and military support for decades. They span long distances without interior columns, go up faster than conventional construction, cost less to build, and last longer than most people expect.

Yet they're often left out of the early planning conversation simply because they're less familiar than steel and concrete.

𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

With our upcoming series, 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱, we'll take a look at what fabric structures actually are, where they perform well, and what any informed buyer should understand before making a facilities decision.

If you'd like to learn more, follow along for updates!

A 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 isn't always the right call. But when it is, the 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 is hard to beat.

Our customers feel it most when they're up against tight timelines, challenging sites, or operations they know will change. When they need a structure that works around how they actually operate, not the other way around.

Fabric structures go up in weeks, not months. They can expand, relocate, or reconfigure as your needs evolve. And they're built to be reused, not demolished.

Not sure where to start? That's exactly the conversation we like having. Send us a message, and we'll walk through your options.

Many teams are being asked to do more with less energy. Fabric buildings support 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐒𝐆 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 with translucent covers that maximize natural light, superior insulation, and ventilation strategies that reduce reliance on artificial lighting and mechanical systems.

For industrial, municipal, and agricultural applications, this means lower operating costs, improved working environments, and a smaller carbon footprint over the life of the structure.

Reach out to our team to discover how fabric buildings can help you achieve your sustainability goals.

📞 888-490-5995 | ✉️ [email protected]