Warehouse Outlay

Warehouses, defined here, are facilities that provide a proper environment for the purpose of storing goods and materials that require protection from the elements. Warehouses must be designed to accommodate loads of the materials to be stored, the associated handling equipment, the receiving and shipping operations and associated trucking, and the needs of the operating personnel. The design of the warehouse space should be planned to best accommodate business service requirements and the products to be stored/handled. The economics of modern commercial warehouses dictate those goods are processed in minimal turnaround time.

Special-designed warehouses meeting strict requirements can also provide liquid storage (fuel and non-propellants), flammable and combustible storage, radioactive material storage, hazardous chemical storage, and ammunition storage.

Features already now common in warehouse designs are higher bays, sophisticated materials-handling equipment, broadband connectivity access, and more distribution networks. A wide range of storage alternatives, picking alternatives, material handling equipment and software exist to meet the physical and operational requirements of the warehouse. Warehouse spaces must also be flexible to accommodate future operations and storage needs as well as mission changes.

Building Attributes

Being utilitarian facilities, warehouse designers should focus on making the warehouse spaces functional and efficient, while providing a safe and comfortable environment for the workers to increase productivity and control, reduce operating costs, and improve customer service. Even warehouses have to maintain a corporate image and provide for worker satisfaction. Building image and aesthetics, landscaping, and worker safety and comfort become important issues in competitive real estate markets.

Types of Spaces

Depending on the program of the warehouse being designed, space types may vary dramatically. The following is probably required:

• Storage Space
• Office Space
• Loading Docks for shipping and receiving
• Light Industrial Space
• Computer Centres

Space Configurations

Maximize utilization of space while providing adequate circulation paths for personnel and material handling equipment such as forklift trucks.

Use higher bays to take advantage of height allowances in the space.

Optimize layout and configuration for the warehouse operation, including efficient circulation and material handling and storage processes.

Relate interior and exterior receiving and shipping operations to the process flow of goods through the warehouse.

Receiving and shipping are best separated to avoid congestion at the loading dock areas in the building, and in the truck manoeuvring areas.

Be planned to accommodate loads of stored materials as well as associated handling equipment.

The design of warehouses is to be based on the dead and live load requirements of the structure as it will be built. Snow, wind and seismic loads shall be considered where they are applicable. Racking in seismic areas must be built stronger and be better braced.

Proper floor types are an important consideration in the design. General warehouse space should be floored with a concrete slab to carry wheel loads and withstand the abrasion generated by the continual use of hard rubber and steel-wheeled forklift trucks. Consider adding hardeners and dust proofers to protect the concrete. Consider using epoxy coating on concrete floors near battery charging areas.

Floor flatness and levelness requirements are critical, especially for high ceilinged space and the safe operation of high-lifting equipment.

Adequate space must be provided on-site for truck manoeuvring, truck storage if the business owns a fleet, car parking for employees and future office space/population expansion (which might be driven by higher rent for centre-city office space), and landscaped areas.

Dock widths and areas inside exterior doors leading to dock space must be planned for the manoeuvrability of forklift trucks and other expected types of material handling equipment. Consider using a non-slip finish on the concrete floor near loading areas for safety.

Use ceiling mounted fans to reduce heat stratification and provide air movement, thus increasing worker comfort in both summer and winter. Mount fans above the highest forklift level for worker safety.

Incorporate proper signage to clearly warn of hazards or to direct personnel to take precautions. The specific strategy for the warehouse's signs must be determined early in the facility design process.

Possess non-slip surface treatments on floors subject to wetting, such as outdoor docks, to eliminate slips and falls to personnel.

Be designed with fire sprinkler systems engineered to cover the specific commodity classification in the specific storage configuration for the planned warehouse. The adequacy of the sprinkler system must be evaluated when changes occur that can increase the hazard classification, such as introducing a new product line, using a different packaging material, or changing from wood pallets to plastic pallets.

Provide proper ventilation under all circumstances.

Allow for natural lighting where possible. Provide lighting controls that turn off lights when sufficient daylight exists. Consider dimming controls that continuously adjust lighting levels to respond to daylight conditions