Derek Lotts

Whether it’s a large distribution centre with multi-temperature zones that services a high market network, a spare parts store or a raw materials storage vital to a manufacturing operation, there are certain factors that influence an effective warehouse design. While some are more important than the others, it’s crucial that you achieve balance between the purpose and the design of the warehouse.

Types of warehouses

General warehouses, both heated and unheated, provide space for bulk, rack and bin storage, aisle space, receiving and shipping area, packing and crating zones, as well as the office and sanitary areas. Refrigerated warehouses, on the other hand, preserve the mercantile quality of perishable goods and general supply materials that need controlled storage temperature. Controlled humidity warehouses (CH) are similar to general warehouses, except for the vapour barriers and equipment that maintains humidity at desired levels. Specially designed warehouses are built with strict requirements for storage of liquids, flammable and combustible materials, hazardous chemicals, ammunition and radioactive materials. Regardless of the type, each warehouse design needs to be functional and efficient, while providing a safe and comfortable environment for operators.

Location and layout

A warehouse should preferably be situated on a flat ground, on a location that is easily approached and suited for its intended use. Locations closer to national highways and railway depots are always more favourable. The building layout needs to accommodate fleet parking and enable shipments to drive in and out without delay. There should be space wide enough to allow two vehicles to manoeuvre and pass through the path. Most warehouses today are constructed with galvanized metallic sheets mounted on C-section girdles. The flooring is ideally reinforced concrete with pre-calculated load bearing capacity. The roof height is dictated by the ability to install vertical storage racking. All-weather docks should enable 24 hours operations, with ramps to enable movement of forklifts.

When it comes to storage, a flow is a logical sequence of operations within the warehouse where every activity is located as close as possible to the function which precedes it and the one that follows it. In a well-designed warehouse, controlled and uninterrupted movement of materials, people and traffic doesn’t allow for cross-flow clashes or creation of high-work density areas. Flow is also concerned with the location of stored material and the location of handling and retrieving equipment. Warehouse designers need to site and position different warehouse activities in an order that enables smooth operation with minimum movement and disruption.

Use of space

As for the spatial distribution within a warehouse, the greatest amount of space should be allocated to operational storage and stock processing purposes, with the rest being dedicated to offices and utility areas. As veterans in warehouse design and construction, Akura expert staff manage every aspect of the construction phase on-site, trying to meet the client’s needs, which is why the final product is fully customized to the client’s specific requirements. A wide range of storage options available today allows warehouse managers to make the optimal use of available space, including the vertical plane, as well. Most of these pieces of equipment are free-standing, with no need for structural support from the building. This arrangement also allows designers flexibility when building, so if there is a need, it can be changed as the warehouse operation evolve to meet the new requirements.

Accessibility

This factor is not only about whether the stored products are easily retrievable but also if the warehouse allows for the required level of pack. A big distribution centre needs to be able to receive and ship product by the pallet loads or even truck loads, and if the products have a long shelf life, e.g. bottled water, the strict first-in first-out rule doesn’t need to be applied. At the wholesaler or local distributor level, you might need access down to case level. In other cases, for example, pharmaceuticals, accessibility may need to go to a specific lock and batch number.

Energy efficiency

As a way of reducing operating costs, a modern warehouse needs to implement energy-efficient solutions, such as passive solar concepts, solar geometry and electric load requirement. Light-coloured roof reflects a large amount of solar radiation, reducing the HVAC use and energy consumption. This saving can be substantial, especially in temperature-controlled warehouses. Warehouses in colder climates need to be planned with interior dock spaces to reduce energy consumption and provide more comfortable working conditions for dock workers. Ceiling mounted fans provide air movement which increases worker comfort in both summer and winter.

An optimized and effective warehouse design needs to take these factors into consideration, but also comply with all local building, fire and life-safety codes. Each of the considerations mentioned here is vital for the success full operation of the facility, while an inefficient design quickly manifests through increased workloads and broken timelines, which then need to be sourced and remedied.