Fibreco

Challenge – Additional storage space for expanding business
Solution – Hercules Truss Arch Building
Size – 250′ wide x 240′ long
Application – Wood pellet storage

Since 1977, Fibreco has been a leading supplier of wood chips to the pulp and paper industry, both domestically and internationally. Wood pellets are a byproduct of wood that are now commonly used as biomass fuel for heat and energy. In 2005, the company decided to add wood pellet handling to their North Vancouver, British Columbia facility due to the rising demand for this material.

Terminal Manager Mike Sullivan is responsible for safely minimizing the handling costs of the company’s materials while meeting customer needs. He says, “We had been using steel silos to store the wood pellets. As demand for this material kept growing, additional pellet storage was required. We decided to get another building, but it was important to choose one that would keep our wood pellets dry, as moisture will cause them to disintegrate.”

After conducting some research, Sullivan chose a 60,000 square-foot, 250′ wide by 240′ long Hercules Truss Arch Building from ClearSpan Fabric Structures. “A fabric structure is less expensive and faster to install than a traditional wood or metal building, which is why we chose ClearSpan,” he explains.

Sullivan was very impressed with the ClearSpan construction process. He states, “I like the simplicity of construction and the fast installation timeline that was offered through ClearSpan. Also, the crew worked very well with our other contractors, which was an advantage.”

Fibreco is extremely satisfied with their ClearSpan structure and Sullivan concludes, “The building keeps the wood pellets dry, so it is working out very well for our application.”

For more information on Fibreco and their ClearSpan Fabric Structure, visit www.Fibreco.com.