Cold Storage; Discover How the Concrete Floor Slab is Critical for Success

Published on 25 August 2020

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Finished Floor, PNW Freezer in Lacey, WA, USA

Performance and reliability are key in a cold storage warehouse. Maintaining a consistently controlled facility whilst maintaining business efficiency, optimising inventory movement, and achieving profitability in a highly competitive environment is the challenge of every cold storage warehouse operator.  With this in mind, remember to pay attention to the concrete floor slab......... 

One of the most critical aspects in cold storage construction is the structural ground floor slab. It is quite literally the support on which the entire cold storage operation rests. Ensuring it meets the environmental, operational, serviceability and structural demands of the controlled space is critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of the facility. Once a cold storage facility is operational, slab repairs, which involve materials and processes that are innately temperature-sensitive, become quite problematic. Such repairs can cause operational shutdowns that quickly jeopardise business profitability and operational capabilities.

Twintec Group has a depth of expertise for design and construction of floor slabs for temperature-controlled facilities worldwide. Our in-house engineering design team are recognised industry experts and have been at the forefront of innovative and sustainable designs for over 30 years. We specialize in offering custom engineered slab designs that maximize the ductility, durability and serviceability of our client’s structural slab. As a result, our unique design approach minimizes, resists and controls cracking in order to reduce the risk of future repairs and maximizes the profitability and operational capacity for our cold-storage clients.

For this reason, consider partnering and investing in a custom, Twintec design-build-guarantee slab solution today.

Cold Storage 1

Design

Cold storage design impacts every facet of operations from energy costs to turnover time. We understand the technical demands required for the concrete floor slab, considering wall panels, sub slab insulation, mud-slabs with heating elements and incorporating the latest construction joints, fiber and concrete technologies to deliver a high-performance floor.

Detailing at an early stage and coordination with all project parties is a critical success factor to the long-term performance of the floor slab.  In addition, a partnership with Twintec offers close collaboration with  engineers specializing in custom concrete floor slab designs of all kinds, particularly those unique to the cold storage industry. Rack-supported structural slabs, slabs on piles, slab supporting mobile racking systems and heavily-loaded slabs are some of the many systems our engineering team has successfully designed to meet the strength and serviceability demands of the racking using advanced finite element software and our experienced engineering team.

Our goal is to provide engineering support, quality assurance and peace of mind to all parties through our experience, knowledge and skill.

Joints

Less joints = fewer potential problems.  No saw-cuts (straight cracks) and minimal or no opening expansion joints in the floor slab will maximise your MHE operational capabilities and at the same time significantly reduce your MHE and floor slab ongoing maintenance costs.

Twintec is a world leader in joint and crack minimization. We offer a unique approach called Twintec Ultimate with minimal cracks and containing no opening joints for tens of thousands of square meters. It is an example of the unique and valuable opportunities available through a partnership with Twintec for your concrete floor slab design and installation.

Construction

Precision machinery is generally utilized for high tolerance floor slab construction, but this may not always be possible in cold storage facilities where insulation is placed beneath the floor slab. In such cases, Twintec can install concrete by hand with experienced/skilled workers to meet the flatness and levelness tolerances required.

Total-Offer-Concept

Twintec is proud to provide clients with a “Total-Offer-Concept.” 

Design-Build-Guarantee

This means that we are fully involved with each project from the initial design phases with our in-house engineering team, through the building of the project with our experienced and talented workers and place & finishing partners, and finally in providing each client with our unique  guarantee.

Our goal is to always meet the unique needs of each client through a long-term partnership as their concrete floor slab experts during and after our slab system is installed.

Schaeffer mobile rack (cold store) - non Twintec floor

References

Twintec USA has worked with many clients in the cold storage industry and has the experience needed to make your next cold storage project a success.

Within the past year, we have completed several cold storage slabs including (but not limited to) NAFCO in Jessup, MD, Lineage in Vernon, CA, United States Cold Storage in McDonough, GA, Food Lion in Butner, NC, Burris in Elkton, MD and Americold in Atlanta, GA.  Case Study Library.

Twintec Group has an extensive worldwide track record in design and construction of concrete floor slabs for Cold Stores.  Learn more.

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COVID-19

We expect the pandemic will increase the demand for e-commerce and direct chilled or frozen products, leading to an increased demand for reliable local storage, logistics and distribution facilities. Twintec is well-suited and committed to providing concrete floor slab solutions for this growing market.

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the necessity to adapt our production and storage processes in a quickly changing environment. Twintec Freeplan joint-free ('jointless') or completely seamless Twintec Ultimate floors are designed to optimize efficiency and provide the greatest flexibility to remain competitive within this changing environment.

Contact Us

Reach out to us today!  Twintec USA would be happy to share a more complete reference list or organize a visit to an existing slab. You can contact us at: info@twintecusa.com

If you are located outside of the USA, email our international business team at mail@twintecgroup.com  or select one of our worldwide offices and contact them directly.

 

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Posted by Jessi Procunier

Topics: Concrete, Logistcs