Ground floor slabs in Warehouses and Distribution Centres are integral to the efficient operation of the facility. They are the table top on which an operator runs his business.
On the surface they appear to be one of the simplest parts of a structure to construct. However, this simplicity often leads to an underestimation of the design and construction requirements. A well designed and constructed floor will increase productivity, reduce maintenance of the building and increase the life of the equipment using the floor.
A floor design should be performance-based, and this starts with understanding the requirements of how the floor will be used. Most Floor designers will be given a brief from the warehouse owner to ensure the floor will take the imposed loads, be flat, long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing and it will be their responsibility to draw up the performance specification. The specialist flooring contractor should consider the construction methods, programme, cost and any value engineering they can bring to the design. Compromises may have to be made in developing the final design of the floor, but the result should be one that is economically designed and built to meet the performance requirements.
There are two parts to a floor design:
- Structural Design – the ability to withstand the applied loads
- Detailed Design – joint design and other performance requirements
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