The high bay warehouse covers an area of over 10,000 m2 and is 45 meters high. There is space for 75,000 pallets, which are stored and retrieved fully automatically in the racks. The construction of the warehouse is done 'in reverse': first the racking structure is erected outdoors, with modules of 10 meters high, 12 meters long and 4 meters wide in which the techniques are already pre-assembled. Only after that shelving 'meccano' is completed are the external walls and roof erected, in order to leave as little gap as possible unused.
Industrium is in a construction team with main contractor Alheembouw, so the installations we proposed to the customer are completely adapted to this way of construction. Besides the design of the techniques, we also advised the client in the choice of contractors who combine the most favorable price and the greatest technical knowledge with the guarantee to realize the order within the extremely short time frame of 1 year. Finally, we also monitor the correct execution on site.
Dematra is the link between the distribution centers and the retailers and trades mainly food products that are packaged. Products containing chocolate are most sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Therefore, the temperature in the new warehouse should never exceed 18 degrees Celsius.
In order to maximize sustainability, we proposed 2 scenarios to the client to cool and heat the space. A feasibility study showed that air-water heat pumps were preferable to geothermal. What is remarkable is that back then - when gas was still relatively cheap and thus common in the industry - Dematra already chose to build completely gas-free. Today, this appears to have been a very far-sighted choice.
To fully utilize the space inside the warehouse for storage, heat pumps (470 kW) and air groups (10 x 20,000m3/h) are placed on the outside around the building. The amount of air we heat or cool is distributed in the warehouse in such a way that all racks and pallets maintain a constant temperature from north to south facade and floor to ceiling. The sprinkler system has also been expanded, with 1 sprinkler head for every 4 pallets, giving a total of 20,000 sprinklers throughout the warehouse. The pumps feeding the circuit have a flow rate of 10,000 liters of water per minute and there is a water supply of over 600,000 liters.
At the front of the warehouse a building with over 2,000m2 of floor space over four floors will be erected, in which the picking of goods will take place. Dozens and dozens of employees will be working here. Because the goods going in and out of the warehouse must also be kept at the right temperature here, and for the sake of human occupancy, these areas will also be heated and cooled with heat pumps (150 kW) and the air groups.
At 120 locations in the warehouse, the temperature is continuously measured and recorded in the building management system via data logging. If Dematra should ever receive a question or complaint from a customer, it can thus be easily recalled what the exact location of the pallet was and under what temperature conditions it was stored.
Want to know more about this? Contact our expert Bart Delgouffe: bart.delgouffe@ingenium.be or call 050 40 45 30
