Long-span buildings

Long-span building create unobstructed, column-free spaces greater than 30 meters (100 feet) for a variety of functions. These include activities where visibility is important for large audiences (auditoriums and covered stadiums), where flexibility is important (exhibition halls and certain types of manufacturing facility), and where large movable objects are housed (aircraft hangars).

In the late 20th century, durable upper limits of span have been established for these types: the largest covered stadium has a span of 204 meters (670 feet), the largest exhibition hall has a span of 216 meters (710 feet), and the largest commercial fixed-wing aircraft has a wingspread of 66.7 meters (222 feet) and a length of 69.4 meters (228 feet), requiring a 75–80-metre- (250–266-foot-) span hangar. In long-span buildings, the space frame structural system needed to achieve these spans is a major concern.