Typical of a high-rise warehouse, the racks on which the goods are stacked also form the supporting structure of the building. After pouring the concrete floor, they are placed first in order to maximize the use of the available interior space. Only then is the exterior cladding attached to them.
As a building owner, you want to keep the time between the decision to build a high-rise warehouse and its completion as short as possible, in order to get a quick return on the investment and be more efficient. On the other hand, the design process of such a warehouse is a complex puzzle that is not done in one day. You want to be able to stock as many goods as possible, but their diversity creates a multitude of sizes, weights and packaging. In addition, there are high-demand and low-demand products, which affects the distance to be covered to the picking and shipping area.
Consequently, the answer to the question of which product will go where on the shelves often varies throughout the design process, as adjustments to one variable often affect many others as well. 'Moving forward,' can also cause the set of requirements to evolve. This usually causes several versions of the shelving plan to be created before the final version can be knocked off.
All stored goods together represent a huge value, which as a company you want to safeguard to the maximum. On the other hand, the presence of flammable materials - such as cardboard and plastic packaging - is high. Moreover, fully automated high bay warehouses are by definition unmanned, so any fire will not be noticed by the naked eye. Rapid detection - with special intake detection and central analysis of the intake air - and efficient fire suppression via damage-limiting sprinklers is therefore crucial. The fire department and insurance companies also impose requirements.
For high-rise warehouses, we therefore work according to the NBN S 21-100 (2021) standard for fire detection and according to FM Global for sprinkling. Among other things, these determine - depending on the height and width of the building - the height and spacing of the intake detectors and sprinkler heads.
Among other things, these determine - depending on the height and width of the building - the height and spacing of the intake detectors and sprinkler heads.
So with 1 sprinkler for 4 pallets, in a warehouse with 80,000 pallet spaces, we are quickly approaching 20,000 sprinklers. This requires hundreds of meters of steel piping, in addition to numerous pipes for intake detection. All these techniques are attached to the racking structure (and the warehouse roof structure), which is built in completely pre-assembled modules. Therefore, when the racking plan is adjusted and modified during the design phase - see above - we also adjust the design of the techniques in close consultation with the racking contractor. Because any change in the overall design may involve new heights and spacing of detectors, sprinkler heads and piping.
In recent years we have worked on various high-rise warehouse projects, including projects where the warehouse is cooled according to specific products. We not only took care of the general techniques, but also paid specific attention to techniques related to fire safety. Usually we not only work closely with the rack builder, but also offer the client a total package by forming a construction team with an architect and a stability consultancy.
Are you making plans to build a high-rise warehouse and want to proactively make the right fire safety choices?
Neem contact op met onze expert Wim Boone: wim.boone@ingenium.be of bel naar 050 40 45 30
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