Refrigerated warehouse freezer building floors.
A refrigerated warehouse building is basically an industrial warehouse facility with the capability of providing interior temperatures of 65° or less in all or a portion of the building. One often overlooked or misunderstood fact about these specialized buildings is when there is a need to provide underfloor heating.
The need for underfloor heating is entirely derived by the subsoil temperature. Whenever the temperature below any floor begins to freeze, pressure develops upward from the expansion of that frozen water that is in the soil beneath the concrete warehouse floor. The lower the temperature above the floor the further the cold will penetrate downward into the subsoil below the floor. The further down the freezing occurs the larger the volume of water that will be frozen and the greater the total amount of upward pressure on the warehouse floor. In order to alleviate the pressure on the floor that from freezing of water and moisture in the soil below the warehouse floor certain types of defrosting mechanisms can be used.
There are 3 types of defrosting apparatus that can be installed in the construction process of a refrigerated warehouse facility that has freezer temperature capabilities. Those types are forced air, glycol and electric heat. Forced air defrosting is provided by piping that runs through the cement warehouse floor and allows ambient outside air or forced heated air through that piping to prevent subsoil moisture freezing. Glycol is a mechanical system that pumps a heated antifreeze type of liquid through a plumbing system within the cement floor to prevent subsurface soil freezing. Electric heating is provided by a providing heat to the warehouse floor through a heating system utilizing electric generated heat underneath the cement of the warehouse floor.
There is much debate as to which of the 3 types are the most efficient way of preventing subsurface pressure and floor heaving caused by freezer warehouse space maintained at less than 32°. Many factors are incorporated into deciding which of the 3 types is appropriate when constructing a refrigerated warehouse facility. Typically glycol systems are for very large warehouse facilities that have extremely low storage temperatures. Forced air systems work well in buildings that are in warmer climates or warehouse floors are above grade. Electric defrosting of freezer warehouse floors are best with interior modular insulated panel installations into existing warehouse structures or with new buildings with small or medium-sized amounts of freezer warehouse storage areas.
When evaluating the purchase of an existing refrigerated cold storage is best to evaluate the floor will frosting system as part of the due diligence required when purchasing a temperature controlled facility. Hawk Distribution Services http://www.hawkds.com/ has over 25 years of experience as a licensed real estate broker in assisting buyers of industrial refrigerated real estate.
A refrigerated warehouse building is basically an industrial warehouse facility with the capability of providing interior temperatures of 65° or less in all or a portion of the building. One often overlooked or misunderstood fact about these specialized buildings is when there is a need to provide underfloor heating.
The need for underfloor heating is entirely derived by the subsoil temperature. Whenever the temperature below any floor begins to freeze, pressure develops upward from the expansion of that frozen water that is in the soil beneath the concrete warehouse floor. The lower the temperature above the floor the further the cold will penetrate downward into the subsoil below the floor. The further down the freezing occurs the larger the volume of water that will be frozen and the greater the total amount of upward pressure on the warehouse floor. In order to alleviate the pressure on the floor that from freezing of water and moisture in the soil below the warehouse floor certain types of defrosting mechanisms can be used.
There are 3 types of defrosting apparatus that can be installed in the construction process of a refrigerated warehouse facility that has freezer temperature capabilities. Those types are forced air, glycol and electric heat. Forced air defrosting is provided by piping that runs through the cement warehouse floor and allows ambient outside air or forced heated air through that piping to prevent subsoil moisture freezing. Glycol is a mechanical system that pumps a heated antifreeze type of liquid through a plumbing system within the cement floor to prevent subsurface soil freezing. Electric heating is provided by a providing heat to the warehouse floor through a heating system utilizing electric generated heat underneath the cement of the warehouse floor.
There is much debate as to which of the 3 types are the most efficient way of preventing subsurface pressure and floor heaving caused by freezer warehouse space maintained at less than 32°. Many factors are incorporated into deciding which of the 3 types is appropriate when constructing a refrigerated warehouse facility. Typically glycol systems are for very large warehouse facilities that have extremely low storage temperatures. Forced air systems work well in buildings that are in warmer climates or warehouse floors are above grade. Electric defrosting of freezer warehouse floors are best with interior modular insulated panel installations into existing warehouse structures or with new buildings with small or medium-sized amounts of freezer warehouse storage areas.
When evaluating the purchase of an existing refrigerated cold storage is best to evaluate the floor will frosting system as part of the due diligence required when purchasing a temperature controlled facility. Hawk Distribution Services http://www.hawkds.com/ has over 25 years of experience as a licensed real estate broker in assisting buyers of industrial refrigerated real estate.
Jim Cronin, Broker
Phil Pisciotta, Agent - Kansas City Operations
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