As E-commerce grows, so does the demand for warehouse space. This has led to a boom in warehouse construction. The building of modern warehouses has evolved along with our worldview. For today’s top tips for building a warehouse, check out this post.
Scalability
Modern warehouses need to grow and shrink according to demand. It’s far cheaper to grow into a warehouse than it is to build a bigger one and move shop. Building in flexibility when it comes to future operations is a must in most of today’s warehouses.
Functional Flooring
Warehouse floors need to be designed to be functional for several different types of traffic. From forklifts to pallet jacks to foot traffic, the floor needs to be able to withstand large loads and falling objects while still providing traction and comfort. The right combination of strength and support needs to be found.
Disaster Resistance
Warehouses often contain large amounts of valuable product. Protecting that product from potential disaster is part of the reasoning behind warehouses in the first place. Because of their size, warehouses may be susceptible to forces that wouldn’t affect smaller structures. Attention needs to be paid to the potential for strong winds, floods, fires, and other natural disasters. Each type of disaster has peculiarities that need to be addressed before construction begins.
Energy Efficiency
Certain types of warehouses need to be more energy-efficient than others. However, no matter the type of building, wasting energy isn’t in anybody’s best interest. Tight building envelopes, proper insulation, effective air and moisture barriers, and employing high thermal mass products can reduce the amount of energy used and lost.
Air Quality
Nowadays, there’s much more importance placed on air quality than there has been in the past. Ignoring the work environment and the health of warehouse workers can lead to serious trouble on several different fronts. Paying attention to volatile organic compounds, moisture barriers, potential mold hazards, and other sources of air contamination during the construction process is a necessity.
Cost Efficiency
The best-built warehouse in the world isn’t going to be very attractive if it costs too much to build and use. Attention needs to be paid to the balance between material and labour costs and the potential for income. Investing in labour-efficient building systems and/or recycled materials may pay off in the long run.
