Freezer Warehouse building floor heaving problems.

                                             Freezer Warehouse building floor heaving problems.

A freezer warehouse building floor this constructed to keep the moisture in the soil below the floor from freezing. Whenever water freezes it expands. When the large amount of soil beneath a freezer floor is frozen the cumulative effect of the moisture in the soil freezing exerts pressure on the floor from underneath. When that happens the freezer warehouse floor will begin to rise upward, and the more moisture there is in the soil, then the greater the expansion and the higher the floor will raise upward. As the freezer floor rises, cement begins to crack.

One of the reasons that freezer warehouse floor will heave is within the construction of the freezer warehouse building’s floor is a component called a moisture barrier. A moisture barrier is basically a large industrial plastic tarp that is laid down over the sand and gravel base. This moisture barrier keeps water from seeping into the cement. Any type of cement will absorb some water. This plastic tarp referred to as a "moisture barrier" in the refrigerated warehouse building construction trade keeps subsoil surface moisture away from the cement.

For a variety of reasons the moisture barrier sometimes fail allowing additional moisture to move upward towards the already frozen cement of the freezer floor, eventually the moisture will freeze and turn into ice and push upwards. Most moisture barriers fail from improper installation when the original freezer warehouse floor was poured. Almost always only a small portion of the freezer warehouse floor is affected, because only a portion of the moisture barrier has been penetrated by subsurface moisture. Signs that a freezer warehouse floor has failed moisture barrier are very subtle at first. Eventually as the floor raises and a dome shaped in the floor will become evident with cracks radiating outward. As pictured at the beginning of this article about freezer warehouse floors.

Jim Cronin is a refrigerated building real estate broker in St. Louis, Missouri.

Phone 314-994-0577 e-mail J.Cronin@hawkds.com or www.refrigerated-buildings.com

A refrigerated warehouse building transaction in St. Louis, Missouri

Lease Transaction Announcement.

John Morrell Food Group leased 7,000 ft.² of refrigerated warehouse space from Sunfarm Food Service, Inc at 84 Produce Row, St. Louis Missouri 6310. Hawk Distribution Services LLC represented both parties in the transaction. Jim Cronin specializes in refrigerated building real estate brokerage.

John Morrell Food Group’s package meat division of Armour-Eckrich Meats was in need of refrigerated warehouse space with cooler storage temperatures and refrigerated dock space to accommodate their route delivery trucks. The 84 Produce Row facility was formerly occupied by Sunfarm Food Service, Inc. which recently located to a larger facility leaving the refrigerated food facility available for lease. The 7000 ft.² of food facility has refrigerated and multiple refrigerated rooms, dry warehouse space and a mezzanine office area for support personnel. The refrigerated dock has 4 truck dock doors and ample parking for the Armour Eckrich Meats’ fleet of refrigerated route trucks.

84 Produce Row is located in the St. Louis Produce Market. Most major metropolitan areas have produce market areas. Most metro produce markets are cooperatives which provide administrative support for common area maintenance, sanitation, building maintenance, security and other amenities to their members. These things are attractive to small and medium sized foodservice distributors, which allow the managers to focus on their business operations.

Jim Cronin is a refrigerated building real estate broker in St. Louis, Missouri Phone of 314-994-0577
 e-mail J.Cronin@hawkds.com  or website of   www.refrigerated-buildings.com