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Home > Design Guidance > Building Types > Warehouse
He alt h C are Facilit ie s Land Po rt o f Ent ry Lib rarie s
R e se arch Facilit ie s Unacco mp anie d Pe rso nne l Ho using ( B arracks) Ware ho use SPAC E T YPES D ESIG N D ISC IPLIN ES PR O D UC T S & SYST EMS
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The different types o f wareho uses include:
Fe d e ral C o urt ho use
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by Ed Acker Steven Winter Associates, Inc. Last updated: 06-02-2009
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Wareho uses, defined here, are facilities that pro vide a pro per Overview enviro nment fo r the purpo se o f sto ring go o ds and materials that Building Attributes require pro tectio n fro m the elements. Wareho uses must be Emerging Issues designed to acco mmo date the lo ads o f the materials to be Relevant Codes and sto red, the asso ciated handling equipment, the receiving and Standards shipping o peratio ns and asso ciated trucking, and the needs o f Major Resources the o perating perso nnel. The design o f the wareho use space sho uld be planned to best acco mmo date business service requirements and the pro ducts to be sto red/handled. The eco no mics o f mo dern co mmercial wareho uses dictate that go o ds are pro cessed in minimal turnaro und time.
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Heated and unheated general warehouses —pro vide space fo r bulk, rack, and bin sto rage, aisle space, receiving and shipping space, packing and crating space, and o ffice and to ilet space; Refrigerated warehouses —preserve the quality o f perishable go o ds and general supply materials that require refrigeratio n. Includes freeze and chill space, pro cessing facilities, and mechanical areas; and Controlled humidity (CH) warehouses —similar to general wareho uses except that they are co nstructed with vapo r barriers and co ntain humidity co ntro l equipment to maintain humidity at desired levels. Special-designed wareho uses meeting strict requirements can also pro vide liquid sto rage (fuel and no npro pellants), flammable and co mbustible sto rage, radio active material sto rage, hazardo us chemical sto rage, and ammunitio n sto rage. Features already no w PDFmyURL.com
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co mmo n in wareho use designs are higher bays, so phisticated materials-handling equipment, bro adband co nnectivity access, and mo re distributio n netwo rks. A wide range o f sto rage alternatives, picking alternatives, material handling equipment and so ftware exist to meet the physical and o peratio nal requirements o f the wareho use. Wareho use spaces must also be flexible to acco mmo date future o peratio ns and sto rage needs as well as missio n changes. BACK TO TO P
BUILDING AT T RIBUT ES Being utilitarian facilities, wareho use designers sho uld fo cus o n making the wareho use spaces functio nal and efficient, while pro viding a safe and co mfo rtable enviro nment fo r the wo rkers to increase pro ductivity and co ntro l, reduce o perating co sts, and impro ve custo mer service. Even wareho uses have to maintain a co rpo rate image and pro vide fo r wo rker satisfactio n. Building image and aesthetics, landscaping, and wo rker safety and co mfo rt, beco me impo rtant issues in co mpetitive real estate markets.
A. Types of Spaces Depending o n the pro gram o f the wareho use being designed, space types may vary dramatically. Sto rage Space Office Space Lo ading Do cks fo r shipping and receiving Light Industrial Space Co mputer Centers
B. Space Conf igurat ions Wareho uses sho uld: Be designed based o n current and future needs.
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Be designed based o n current and future needs. Facilitate changes in business/agency gro wth, and size/po pulatio n o f o ffice and wareho use spaces within the building. Wareho use space sho uld be easily adapted to new functio ns such as o ffice (o n gro und o r upper levels), co mputer centers, o r light industrial/fabricatio n. Acco mmo date need fo r future lo ading do cks, truck space, and car parking spaces if space co nfiguratio n changes thro ugh effective site design. View detailed storage alternatives Address material handling techno lo gies and business practice, such as "just-in-time" sto rage, which have fundamentally changed o peratio n o f wareho uses and distributio n centers, and will co ntinue to do so . Include ro o f design with built-in extra structural capacity to handle additio n o f future ro o fto p equipment. Be designed with fire pro tectio n capacity to acco mmo date sto rage o f materials with a greater fire hazard, especially needed with high plastic View detailed picking alternatives pro duct co ntent o r packaging, and plastic shrinkwrapped pallets. Maximize utilizatio n o f space while pro viding adequate circulatio n paths fo r perso nnel and material handling equipment such as fo rklift trucks. Use higher bays to take advantage o f height allo wances in the space. Optimize layo ut and co nfiguratio n fo r the wareho use o peratio n, including efficient circulatio n and material handling and sto rage pro cesses. Relate interio r and exterio r receiving and shipping o peratio ns to the pro cess flo w o f go o ds thro ugh the wareho use. Receiving and shipping are best separated to avo id co ngestio n at the lo ading do ck areas in the building, and in the truck maneuvering areas. Alternative material handling metho ds will determine o ther building aspects, such as aisle widths, lighting design, need fo r mezzanine space, fire pro tectio n, and egress design. Businesses will o ften use different metho ds o f sto rage handling simultaneo usly fo r different pro ducts.
C. Durable/Funct ional Be planned to acco mmo date lo ads o f sto red materials as well as asso ciated handling equipment. Design o f wareho uses is to be based o n the dead and live lo ad requirements o f the structure as it will be built. Sno w, wind, and seismic lo ads shall be co nsidered where they are applicable. Racking in seismic areas must be built stro nger and be better PDFmyURL.com
braced. Wind uplift can cause great damage to ro o fs and metal ro o f co pings at the ro o f edge. Building co des reco gnize that wind velo city is greater acro ss o pen areas, typical fo r wareho use zo nes. Wind-driven rain can easily penetrate the vast surface areas o f the wareho use walls. Design walls to permit any infiltrating water to evapo rate harmlessly witho ut co llecting in the wall cavities o r damaging sto red pro duct. Pro per flo o r types are an impo rtant co nsideratio n in the design. General wareho use space sho uld be flo o red with a co ncrete slab to carry wheel lo ads and withstand the abrasio n generated by the co ntinual use o f hard rubber and steel-wheeled fo rklift trucks. Co nsider adding hardeners and dustpro o fers to pro tect the co ncrete. Co nsider using epo xy co ating o n co ncrete flo o rs near battery charging areas. Flo o r flatness and levelness requirements are critical, especially fo r high ceilinged space and safe o peratio n o f high-lifting equipment. Adequate space must be pro vided o n-site fo r truck maneuvering, truck sto rage if the business o wns a fleet, car parking fo r emplo yees and future o ffice space/po pulatio n expansio n (which might be driven by higher rent fo r center-city o ffice space), and landscaped areas. Be designed to ensure that no structural member will interfere with the spacing o f rail car do o rs o r truck berths at do ck spaces. Do ck heights o n the truck side o f the terminal sho uld be appro ximately 4'-4" abo ve the pavement, with appro priate ramps at each truck berth to bring the height o f the truck bed in line with the do ck height. Do ck heights o n the rail side o f the terminal sho uld be appro ximately 3'-9 " abo ve the to p o f the rail to ensure that the rail car flo o r is even with the do ck flo o r. Do ck widths and areas inside exterio r do o rs leading to do ck space must be planned fo r maneuverability o f fo rklift trucks and o ther expected types o f material handling equipment. Do ck heights o n the truck side o f the terminal sho uld be appro ximately 4'-40 " abo ve the pavement, with appro priate ramps, scisso r lifts, o r do ck levelers at each truck berth to safely bring the height o f the truck bed in line with the do ck height. To ps o f do o rs sho uld be high eno ugh to acco mmo date full height pallet handling fro m the highest trucks. Do ck heights o n the rail side o f the terminal sho uld be appro ximately 3'-9 " abo ve the to p o f the rail to ensure that the rail car flo o r is even with the do ck flo o r. Do ck widths and areas inside exterio r do o rs leading to do ck space must be planned fo r maneuverability o f fo rklift trucks and o ther expected types o f material handling equipment. Co nsider using a no n-slip finish o n the co ncrete flo o r near lo ading areas fo r safety.
D. Energy- Ef f icient Be designed with passive so lar co ncepts , so lar
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Be designed with passive so lar co ncepts , so lar geo metry, and building lo ad requirements in mind. Po ssess light co lo red ro o f to reflect a large percentage o f so lar radiatio n, reducing HVAC lo ads, and energy co nsumptio n. First co st is also reduced, due to the smaller plant size required. When a large ro o f area is anticipated, this effect can be significant, especially fo r temperature co ntro lled wareho uses. Greater heat reflectio n will increase wro ker pro ductivity in the summer. Be planned with interio r do ck space in co lder climates to reduce energy co nsumptio n and pro vide mo re to lerable winter wo rking co nditio ns fo r do ck wo rkers. Use ceiling mo unted fans to reduce heat stratificatio n and pro vide air mo vement, thus increasing wo rker co mfo rt in bo th summer and winter. Mo unt fans abo ve highest fo rklift level fo r wo rker safety. Co nsider specifying white painted metal ro o f decking, thereby increasing ceiling surface reflectivity, lighting efficiency, and wo rker co mfo rt witho ut any added energy co st. Use energy-efficient fixtures, systems, and appliances , e.g., mo tio n senso r instant-o n lighting systems, wherever feasible.
E. Saf et y/Securit y of Personnel and Mat erial Address the traditio nal life-safety and health co ncerns co mmo n to all buildings, including measures to prevent o ccupatio nal injuries and illnesses (wo rkrelated musculo skeletal diso rders (WMSD), trips, falls, etc.), ensure electrical safety, and eliminate expo sure to hazardo us materials. The fo llo wing o peratio ns have histo rically co ntributed to significant numbers o f wareho use injuries and are co nsidered to be the mo st hazardo us: do cks, po wered industrial trucks, co nveyo rs, materials sto rage, manual lifting/handling, ro o f ladders and hatches, and charging statio ns. Other serio us o peratio nal safety pro blems include inadequate fire safety pro visio ns, impro per blo cking o f exits and egress paths, chemical expo sure, impro per use o f lo cko ut pro cedures, lack o f ergo no mics, and failure to wear perso nal pro tective equipment. Inco rpo rate pro per signage to clearly warn o f hazards o r to direct perso nnel to take precautio n. The specific strategy fo r the wareho uses signs must be determined early in the facility design pro cess. Po ssess no n-slip surface treatments o n flo o rs subject to wetting, such as o utdo o r do cks, to eliminate slips and falls to perso nnel. Be designed with fire sprinkler systems engineered to co ver the specific co mmo dity classificatio n in the specific sto rage co nfiguratio n fo r the planned wareho use. The adequacy PDFmyURL.com
o f the sprinkler system must be evaluated when changes o ccur that can increase the hazard classificatio n, such as intro ducing a new pro duct line, using a different packaging material, o r changing fro m wo o d pallets to plastic pallets. Include appro priate security systems inco rpo rated into the o verall wareho use design.
F. Healt h/Comf ort Pro vide pro per ventilatio n under all circumstances. Pro vide lo cal exhaust fo r restro o ms, kitchens, janito r's clo sets, co py ro o ms, batterycharging areas, etc. Co nsider installing CO 2 senso rs to pro vide real time mo nito ring o f air quality. Integrate daylighting with the electric lighting system . Allo w fo r natural lighting where po ssible. Pro vide lighting co ntro ls that turn o ff lights when sufficient daylight exists. Co nsider dimming co ntro ls that co ntinuo usly adjust lighting levels to respo nd to daylight co nditio ns. Co nsider the different natural lighting designs fo r wareho uses. Minimize HVAC system no ise in o ccupied space. Use furnishings, chairs, and equipment that are ergo no mically designed and appro ved fo r that use. Design equipment and furnishings reflective o f healthy wo rk practices in an effo rt to eliminate repetitive mo tio ns as well as prevent strains and sprains. Strive to create a 'sense o f place' such that the wareho use has a unique character that engenders a sense o f pride, purpo se, and dedicatio n fo r individual wo rkers and the wo rkplace co mmunity.
G. Example Design and Const ruct ion Crit eria Fo r GSA, the unit co sts fo r this building type are based o n the co nstructio n quality and design features in the fo llo wing table (PDF 18 7 KB, 14 p g s ) . This info rmatio n is based o n GSA's benchmark interpretatio n and co uld be different fo r o ther o wners.
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EMERGING ISSUES Auto mated Sto rage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) are reshaping the ways in which go o ds and services are manufactured, sto red, and distributed. AS/RS have beco me a means to co ntro l and immediately repo rt the mo vement o f material, pro viding a critical link in the chain o f info rmatio n systems that co ntro l wo rk-inpro cess, manufacturing schedules, and distributio n. AS/RS wareho uses are designed fo r PDFmyURL.com
maximum sto rage and minimum perso nnel o n site. They are built fo r lo wer temperature o peratio n with minimal heat and light needed, but require a tall structure with super level flo o rs.
Examples of natural lighting designs for warehouse structures
In the private secto r, co mpetitio n, techno lo gy and e-co mmerce are fo rcing distributo rs to lo o k fo r ways to mo ve larger quantities o f their pro ducts mo re quickly and efficiently to the co nsumer. Clustering distributio n centers in a single geo graphic area is amo ng the new trends. There is also a mo ve to wards transpo rtatio n specializatio n, such as co mpanies that depend o n substantial parcel air transpo rt, lo cating near Memphis, TN, while Co lumbus, OH rates higher fo r co mpanies fo cused o n o verland distributio n. Labo r availability and techno lo gy advances are facto rs driving many co mpanies to co nso lidate their distributio n systems into fewer but larger, regio nal facilities. Ho wever, no t all co mpanies are co nso lidating their distributio n centers: in many areas, the co nso lidatio n trend itself is pro ducing a new generatio n o f smaller, lo cal distributio n centers. Experts say that new lo gistical handling systems and greater o utso urcing—in particular, the increased use o f third-party lo gistics pro viders—seem to be driving this trend. New "flex" wareho uses in well landscaped industrial park settings fo r smaller businesses is a gro wing trend. These buildings acco mmo date small businesses such as co ntracto rs, light industrial fabricato rs, and mechanics that do no t need expo sure to heavy retail street traffic. In o lder industrial areas, small wareho use buildings with lo w ro o fs, no lo nger suitable fo r large single co mmercial users, are being repo sitio ned and reno vated as multi-tenant "flex" wareho use buildings. Fo rces o utside the parameters o f the no rmal building pro ject can generate great changes in wareho use design. Examples include accelerated tax write-o ffs in the 19 8 0 's, which enabled speculative co nstructio n o f much larger buildings; again 19 8 0 's federal regulatio ns to permit much larger o ver-the-ro ad trucks, which required co mmensurate changes to site space given o ver to truck space; lo cal real estate market prices, which o ften makes it eco no mically attractive fo r co mpanies to relo cate much o f their co rpo rate back o ffice space at their regio nal distributio n center; increasingly tighter enviro nmental and permitting pro cesses, which leaves the market to the larger develo pers, resulting in usually larger pro jects; and the reclamatio n o f fo rmer "bro wnfields" industrial sites fo r either new industrial o r o ther uses. BACK TO TO P
RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS Wareho uses must be designed to meet all lo cal building, fire, and life-safety co des. When in do ubt, co nsult with the lo cal building o fficial. The Occupatio nal Safety and Health Administratio n (OSHA) also pro vides guidance fo r wareho use safety. 29 U.S.C. § 6 51 et seq.; 29 C.F.R. Part 19 0 3.1 et seq.—Occupatio nal Safety and Health Act 19 70 PDFmyURL.com
Several design criteria and guidelines exist fo r federal wareho uses: Department o f Defense (DOD) UFC 4-440-01A Storage Depots UFC 4-442-01N Design: Covered Storage Natio nal Fire Pro tectio n Asso ciatio n NFPA 230 Standard for the Fire Protection of Storage Veterans Administratio n (VA)—Veterans Health Administratio n VA VHA Acquisition and Materials Management Service—Warehouse BACK TO TO P
MAJOR RESOURCES WBDG Building / Space Types Aviatio n Facilities, Land Po rt Entry, General Sto rage, Light Industrial , Office, Wareho use (Space Type) Design Objectives Functio nal / Operatio nal—Acco unt fo r Functio nal Needs , Pro ductive—Ensure Reliable Systems and Spaces, Secure / Safe—Plan fo r Fire Pro tectio n , Secure / Safe—Pro vide Security fo r Building Occupants and Assets, Sustainable—Optimize Energy Use, Sustainable—Enhance Indo o r Enviro nmental Quality
Organiz at ions American So ciety o f Safety Engineers (ASSE) Co uncil o f Supply Chain Management Pro fessio nals (CSCMP) Institute o f Industrial Engineers (IIE) Internatio nal Asso ciatio n o f Refrigerated Wareho uses (IARW) Internatio nal Wareho use Lo gistics Asso ciatio ns (IWLA) Internatio nal So ciety o f Lo gistics (SOLE) Occupatio nal Safety and Health Administratio n (OSHA) Wareho using Educatio n and Research Co uncil (WERC)
Publicat ions Architecture and the Design of Warehouse Facilities: A Selected Bibliography by Antho ny G. White. Vance Biblio graphies, 19 8 1. ISBN: 9 9 9 26 4730 2 Guide to Warehouse Design, Conservation and Restoration by Co ppa, Avery Co nsultants. Vance Biblio graphies, 19 8 5. PDFmyURL.com
Practical Steps in Warehouse Design and Operation by Brian N. McKibbin. Rules of Thumb for Warehousing and Distribution Equipment Costs by Gro ss & Asso ciates . Time, Space & Cost Guide to Better Warehouse Design by Maida Napo litano and Gro ss & Asso ciates. The Distributio n Gro up. UFC 4-440-01A Storage Depots UFC 4-442-01N Design: Covered Storage Warehouse Safety: A Comprehensive Review by Geo rge Swartz. Warehouse Safety: A Practical Guide to Preventing Warehouse Incidents and Injuries by Geo rge Swartz. 19 9 9 . ISBN: 0 8 6 58 76 479 Warehousing Profitably by Kenneth Ackerman. Co lumbus: Ohio , Ackerman Publicatio ns, 20 0 0 .
Point s of Cont act Daniel McCarren: Gro ss & Asso ciates—Co nsultants in Material Handling Lo gistics , 16 7 Main Street, Wo o dbridge, NJ 0 70 9 5-210 4. Pho ne: (732) 6 36 -26 6 6 x323 BACK TO TO P
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