Glossary
Clear-Span
An interior space with no supporting columns between the exterior walls, giving fully open, unobstructed floor area.
A clear-span structure carries its roof loads without interior columns, leaving the entire interior open. Clear-span width is one of the biggest cost drivers in a steel building because wider spans require heavier framing. The benefit is flexibility: open interiors adapt across tenants and uses — warehousing, manufacturing, recreation — over the asset's life.