ASFI inks deal with La Carpa

23 Nov '07

3 min read

American Spaceframe Fabricators International (ASFI) recently signed an agreement with La Carpa, an international religious and peace organization, to design and fabricate a new worship and meeting center in Cayey, Puerto Rico. When complete, the 400,000-square-foot structure will be the largest of its kind in the world.

Working with La Carpa on aesthetics for the new facility, ASFI designed the structure to meet both capacity and visionary needs of the non-profit organization. Requiring more than 2.5 million lbs. of steel and ten acres of fabric to complete, the new tensioned fabric-framed worship center will seat nearly 55,000 people and be large enough to host the company's yearly international meeting.

“Our requirements for the new worship center were very specific and built on our founder's original vision of a tent-like enclosure for the La Carpa organization,” said Jose B. Perez-Matos, pastor at La Carpa. “In addition to meeting structural requirements, ASFI was able to be a conduit for our vision and truly partner with us on this project.”

Similar to all ASFI structures, construction materials used allow for a custom design to fit the unique requirements of the project, as well as quick deployment and affordable pricing. Once construction begins, a project of this magnitude is expected to take six months to fabricate.

With a number of unique factors, weather also played a vital role in the planning process. Cayey, Puerto Rico, is often subject to severe storms and occasional hurricanes. As a result, ASFI engineered and designed the structure to withstand the 145 mph winds characteristic of a Category 5 hurricane. Three groups of engineers also were brought in to conduct independent audits of the structure to verify integrity.

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