Building a Storage or Cold Warehouse

Dry storage or cold storage?

A standard storage warehouse focuses on area, height and ventilation, and costs far less.

A cold warehouse needs tight insulation with 7.5 – 10 cm panels, insulated doors, correctly sized refrigeration units and an insulated floor to prevent cold loss.

Core design decisions

• Clear height: determines racking levels; each extra metre adds capacity without extra land.
• Aisle width: must suit the forklift type in use.
• Receiving and loading area: enough space in front of doors prevents bottlenecks.
• Door count and height to match truck access.
• Flooring: must carry racking loads and forklift traffic without cracking.

Flooring: the underestimated item

Warehouse floors take high point loads from racking legs and constant forklift movement.

Reinforced concrete with a surface hardener is the standard choice; expansion joints and flatness tolerance matter to avoid forklift vibration.

Safety and systems

• Fire suppression matched to the goods stored.
• Clear, unobstructed emergency exits.
• Lighting distributed along aisles, not just across the area.
• Adequate ventilation to control heat and humidity.
• Separation between storage and administrative work areas.

Cost drivers

Warehouse cost is driven by span, height, cladding type, flooring and safety systems.

Cold warehouses can exceed double the cost of a dry warehouse due to insulation, refrigeration units and continuous energy consumption.

Expensive mistakes

• Building lower than needed, then being unable to expand vertically.
• Skimping on floor specification, leading to early cracking.
• Not planning truck movement outside the warehouse.
• In cold stores: neglecting floor or door insulation, the biggest sources of cold loss.