Are you considering building a steel warehouse? If yes, then this article will be very helpful to you. We will discuss in detail the process of building a steel warehouse, from what to consider to how to build it. With this detailed guide to the Xinguangzheng warehouse construction site, you will gain professional insights into warehouse construction.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Planning the warehouse project
Before purchasing a steel warehouse, you need to understand your current space and layout needs. These needs include both current and future expansion space. This is because you need to build a warehouse building that matches your needs to accommodate future growth. An unsuitable warehouse building is like a shoe that doesn’t fit, resulting in many wasted resources. Therefore, choosing the right warehouse size and layout plan is crucial.
Warehouse Size and Common Uses
Most of the warehouses currently contracted by Xinguangzheng are over 30,000 square feet in size. These warehouses are often used as logistics centers, factory warehouses, and cold storage. However, the purchase cost, heating and cooling costs of these larger warehouses will increase accordingly. If you are planning to build a large-scale project, then Xinguangzheng is right for you. We will provide you with a modern warehouse that is fully adapted and has low operating costs.
Key Considerations
You can refer to the following questions when determining the warehouse design plan:
Equipment Layout: Is there a fixed equipment location, such as a conveyor belt? If so, the warehouse should be designed according to the equipment layout.
Height of storage racks: Are storage racks installed? The higher the storage racks, the higher the ground leveling requirements.
Truck distribution: Will trucks be used for material transportation at a later stage? If yes, loading and unloading platforms, overhead doors, and even material handling systems need to be configured.
Cargo size: The size of the item determines the width of the doorway and aisle.
Lifting equipment: Is a crane required? The type and capacity will affect framing costs.
Temperature control needs: Will heating or cooling be required? This will determine insulation and HVAC equipment needs.
Office space: Will there be a need for office, break or restroom areas? If so, plan for their location in the building. Also provide proper egress paths.
If you are unsure of your needs, suggest a warehouse designer or building engineer from Xinguangzheng. Our team will provide professional planning for your warehouse.
Height and clearance considerations
Steel warehouses are usually designed with large spans to improve space utilization. But this building type may require deeper frame support. If you need to install lifting equipment in the frame, then we recommend installing intermediate columns to ensure frame load capacity.
The clear height of the building (floor to bottom of the frame) is the usable height of the shelves and equipment. Generally speaking, 20 feet is a common height. However, for larger warehouse buildings, the clear height will be greater. This allows for more equipment to be supported as well as the shelving.
Therefore, when purchasing a metal building, it is a good idea to communicate your minimum clear height requirements. The clear height is usually highest at the center of the building, with the side wall areas being reduced in height. It is important to note that you should not choose a warehouse based on the eaves.
Spacing
Standard cubicle spacing for steel buildings is usually 25 feet. Compartment spacing affects equipment layout, and proper spacing design will enhance the efficient use of space.
Framing Openings
The walls of a warehouse will be designed with openings such as windows and doors. Therefore, when designing a warehouse structure, transportation and lighting needs need to be clearly communicated. Once these needs are clear, the steel fabricator will be able to provide you with an accurate design and quote.
Overhead doors need to be sized to match the items being transported. Steel windows and personnel doors should be sized for light and access needs.
Loads, Codes and Permits
Construction projects must comply with local building codes and obtain permits before the start of construction. Required submittals include architectural engineering drawings, foundation design drawings and site layout drawings. The code will list the snow, wind, live loads and other special loads that the warehouse will be required to carry to ensure building safety.
Site Selection and Soil Analysis
Warehouse site selection requires consideration of transportation accessibility and utility needs for subsequent expansion space. The quality of the foundation soil is a key factor in foundation construction, and different soil qualities may lead to additional foundation design costs. Therefore, a professional soil investigation can help you evaluate soil suitability, drainage, etc.
Hire a Structural Engineer
When designing a complex steel warehouse. It is advisable to hire a professional engineer from the very beginning. This is because he will have the builder design the building according to your specific needs from the beginning. This will effectively prevent the warehouse building from having hidden problems such as poor design.
Start your project today with a tailored price estimate for your steel building.
Step 2: Design Considerations
When planning and designing your steel warehouse. You need to consider the building design, structural requirements and future expansion needs. Fortunately, Xinguang can provide you with a complete steel warehouse solution. Simply go through our metal building pricing page and you can get a professional design plan. We can help you coordinate all types of engineering services (e.g., HVAC, fire protection, water supply and drainage, etc.). In addition, we can ensure that the design meets your specific needs.
Structural and architectural design
Customized Options: You can get a wide range of options from Xinguangzheng when designing a steel warehouse. Common options include roof and wall materials, door styles, and exterior trim choices. These options not only fulfill functional needs, but also add uniqueness to your business.
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC): Most warehouses require ventilation and heating systems. These systems are usually designed by Xinguangzheng’s licensed designers. We can ensure that the design is sound and that the systems are installed smoothly.
Fire Protection System: If a warehouse requires a fire sprinkler system, the load bearing and layout should be planned in the design to avoid affecting the stability of the structure.
Internal layout and equipment support
Overhead doors and entrances: The door and window opening design of the warehouse needs to be coordinated with the requirements of goods handling. The size of the overhead doors should match the size of the items passing through. In addition, windows and personnel doors should be designed for light and ease of access.
Crane Installation: If you require a crane, it is important to inform our team of the type, capacity and location of the crane. We will carry out a detailed assessment to ensure that the frame structure provided is suitable for crane installation.
Insulation and roofing options
Depending on the specific needs of the warehouse, different roof pitches and materials are available. We cover metal roof types in detail in a separate article, so you can learn more about the differences. The choice of insulation (e.g., fiberglass blankets) can also affect a warehouse’s energy efficiency.
Infrastructure and Foundation Design
Warehouse foundation design needs to be tailored to the dimensions and use of the building to ensure structural soundness and load-bearing capacity. The following are common types of foundations:
Bending-resistant foundation: for higher loads.
Tie rod + column footing: suitable for heavy frame structures.
Spacer or Drilled Shaft: In areas with unstable soil, special design is required to enhance stability.
Planning for future expansion
To accommodate future expansion needs, room for expansion can be left at the beginning of the design. For example, an expandable end wall at one end of the warehouse can be selected at the time of design. This facilitates future expansion without affecting the existing structure, and only requires the installation of the warehouse on one side. In addition, Xinguangzheng can also provide you with a steel structure warehouse construction program that meets the expansion needs at the time of design.
Ground and Internal Space
Ground construction: Concrete slab is often used for warehouse floor. Its specific thickness and reinforcement strength are determined by the load of the equipment and your usage requirements. If there are high shelves in the warehouse, the floor needs to be particularly flat to ensure that the shelves are stable.
Internal areas: Warehouses often contain offices, restrooms and washrooms. Therefore, you need to plan the layout of these spaces in advance. In addition, suitable fire exits and heating and electrical facilities need to be provided to ensure a safe and comfortable working environment.
Step 3: Ordering and Contracting
After the preliminary program communication and design. It comes to the step of reaching cooperation with Xinguangzheng. As a professional steel structure contractor in China, we will provide you with competitive warehouse quotations.
Below are the key steps for ordering and contracting:
Requirement Confirmation and Quotation: Provide detailed requirements and get the specific quotation. This includes standard metal kit costs, customization, shipping, and installation.
Contract review: Read the terms of the contract carefully to confirm the payment method, delivery time, quality assurance and after-sales service. You need to ensure that the acceptance criteria are clear and make changes to the terms.
Payment Arrangement: Upon completion of the contract, you need to pay a 50% deposit. We can use it for the production of the base frame.
Project start-up: Depending on the size of the project, our delivery lead time is a minimum of 3 weeks. This includes material production, transportation, installation time, etc. to ensure that the project moves forward on schedule. We also confirm all key time points of the project.
Step 4: Pre-construction Preparation
During this time of production in the warehouse. You can have plenty of time to prepare the construction site. Here are some of the key steps we’ve compiled:
Site Preparation
After confirming that the selected site is suitable for construction, site preparation work begins. These include surveying, soil testing, clearing the site (which may include demolition work) and developing a site plan. In addition, you will need to obtain a building permit. Land leveling is an important part of site preparation, and its corresponding cost is a key factor to consider. See Land Grading Costs for expert insights.
Access and Construction Parking
You will also need to ensure that transportation routes are unobstructed, which will make it easier for materials and construction vehicles to enter and exit the site. In addition, you need to prepare a level area for stacking building components. This will make it easier for later construction and installation.
Foundation Construction and Anchor Positioning
Once all of the above has been prepared, you will need to work on the foundation. This process will require you to take accurate measurements of the foundation to ensure the future positioning of the columns and key structures.
After the foundation is complete, you will need to position the anchor bolts. This step is done by marking the anchor bolt locations on the side of the formwork. With the help of the marked points, the constructor is able to accurately install the anchor bolts at the specified points to ensure the structural stability of the building.
Detailed site preparation and accurate foundation construction lay a solid foundation for the smooth start of the warehouse construction.
Step 5: Warehouse Construction
Delivery Day
This is an important moment in the project – the arrival of the steel warehouse components at the site. To ensure the unloading and storage of the warehouse building, Xinguangzheng will provide a professional construction team to help you complete this step.
When working with Xinguangzheng, our prices usually include installation and construction teams. These teams are contracted by our local partners in your area. The contractor will provide specialized equipment for unloading and storing the warehouse components.
Steel Warehouse Erection
Our construction packages include detailed installation drawings. If you want to keep a tight rein on the erection process, it is useful to have the expertise to read and understand the structural steel drawings. The erection usually starts with total columns or a pre-assembled main frame. Anchor bolts pre-installed in the previous step (Step 4) can help secure the columns, and bracing is used to ensure construction safety. After these tasks are completed, it’s time to install structural components such as frame beams, wall bracing, and roof purlins. We hope this helps you understand the construction process of a steel warehouse.
If you are worried about the installation process, please don’t worry. Xinguangzheng team will always keep close communication with the contractor to ensure the construction is carried out strictly according to the design drawings and standards.
Start your project today with a tailored price estimate for your steel building.
Step 6: Completion
Insulation and Interior Finishes
As we mentioned above, warehouse structures often require insulation to maintain a stable temperature inside the warehouse. These insulations, as well as interior finishes, are installed after the steel frame is erected. Insulation is usually installed on the roof and walls. Interior finishes are usually installed last, commonly such as lighting, ceilings, lighting, and other interior finish options.
HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Work
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical systems are typically installed after the steel framing is completed. These are installed along with the framing process because they require additional support. Plumbing and drains, on the other hand, need to be completed before the framing structure is built up for ground work.
Final Inspection
The Xinguangzheng team conducts regular inspections of the building during the construction period and constantly records issues for construction feedback. This ensures that all matters are properly addressed. Thus, the warehouse will be built according to the design requirements. We work closely with the builder during these processes to ensure that the warehouse is constructed correctly.
After all the work is completed, the local construction department will conduct a final inspection. They will check the stability of the structure as well as its safety. Once the inspection is complete, your warehouse is ready to be put to use and make a profit for your business.
