TEXTILES.ORG
HDPE shade structure meets requirements for sun protection.
By Kathy Carlson
It is long, shallow and the only shade in sight. A&R Tarpaulins Inc., Fontana, Calif., installs shade cloth for many residential and commercial applications, but less frequently gets requests to shade industrial spaces, such as a 275-by-51-foot shade structure at a Walgreens distribution center truck bay located on a tree-free concrete surface in the Inland Empire of southern California.
The facility’s structure was made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) shade cloth and needed to be replaced, as it was torn, esthetically unappealing and no longer meeting the requirements for sun protection. When Walgreens re-covered the awning, it asked A&R for more of the same.
A&R suggested Comtex®, a heavy duty, knitted HDPE shade fabric manufactured by Polyfab USA, Manhattan Beach, Calif., designed for large tension membrane structures and architectural shade sails. All of Polyfab’s HDPE shade cloth is 100 percent recyclable, lead- and phthalate-free, lightweight, mold-resistant and flame-retardant, resisting up to 90 mph wind speeds and blocking 96 percent of harmful UV rays. The fabric was attached using galvanized steel cables, incorporating turnbuckles to help facilitate future take-down.
Kathy Carlson is a freelance writer from St. Paul, Minn.