Structural design of warehouses and industrial buildings
Frames, roof, floor slab and foundation, designed together.
Photo: DDES
The structural design of a warehouse sets the frames, the roof, the purlins, the floor slab and the foundation under the NSR-10 loads, including wind, which often governs the design of light structures (Chapter B.6). DDES has designed and supervised warehouses in Atlántico, such as Bodegas Centurión and the Industrias Cannon plant.
- Code
- NSR-10, Titles B and F
- Service
- Structural design
- Projects
- Centurión, Cannon, Galapa
What to have at hand
- The lot: address, topography and soil study if it already exists.
- Use of the warehouse: storage, racking loads, forklifts, cold rooms.
- Clear spans and height the operation needs.
- Whether there will be a mezzanine, overhead crane or loading docks.
How we solve it
- Definition of loads: dead, live use and racking, wind and earthquake.
- Choice of system: steel or concrete frames, trusses and purlins.
- Design of the floor slab for forklifts and racking, and of the foundation for the soil.
- Drawings, calculations and shop details for the permit and for erection.
Why does wind matter so much in a warehouse?
A warehouse is light with a large roof: wind can lift the roof and push the walls harder than the earthquake. Chapter B.6 of the NSR-10 gives the procedure to compute those forces.
Steel or concrete?
Steel spans large distances with little weight and goes up fast; NSR-10 Title F governs its design (F.1.1). Precast or cast-in-place concrete suits smaller spans or corrosive environments. The choice depends on span, height, environment and schedule.
DDES services for this case
Structural design
Concrete, steel and masonry buildings designed to the NSR-10, from the first concept to the reinforcement details.
Construction oversight
We represent the owner: quality, schedule and budget on public and private projects.
Independent design review
Review of structural designs by others, required on projects of more than 2,000 m².
Related projects
Bodegas Centurión
Construction oversight of warehouses C10 and C11 through close-out, review of their designs, and design of warehouses C9 and C5.
Industrias Cannon
Structural design and construction oversight of an industrial plant, from the building permit to the structure.
Warehouse in Galapa
Construction oversight of an industrial warehouse, with a review of the structural drawings and the geotechnical study.
Technical notes
Concrete near the sea: what the NSR-10 requires against salt air
Exposure class C2, a water-cement ratio of 0.40, 35 MPa and concrete cover: the code's recipe for the coast.
Geotechnical study: how many borings, and how deep, the NSR-10 requires
The building's category sets the minimum number of borings and their depth. Title H sets it out.
Seismic hazard on the Caribbean coast: city by city under the NSR-10
Barranquilla and Cartagena are in the low hazard zone; Santa Marta, Montería, Sincelejo and Riohacha, in the intermediate zone.
Frequently asked questions
What does a warehouse structural design include?
Frames, roof, purlins, bracing, floor slab, foundation and any mezzanines and docks, with signed drawings and calculations.
Does the floor slab need a design?
Yes. Forklifts and racking concentrate large loads on small points; an undesigned slab cracks and settles.
Can DDES also do the construction oversight?
Yes. At Bodegas Centurión and Industrias Cannon DDES followed the works as interventoría (construction oversight).
Other situations
- Adding a second floorBefore adding a floor you need to know whether the house can carry it.
- Home structural retrofitSo an older structure resists what today's code requires.
- Crack assessmentNot every crack is serious, but every crack that grows needs to be studied.
- Retaining wallsFor basements, level changes and sloping lots.
- Tanks and poolsStructures that must not only stand but also not leak.
- Steel mezzanineMore usable floor area inside the same warehouse or store.
- Building permitWhich structural documents the curaduría asks for and who signs them.
Last updated:
Contact
Planning a warehouse?
Tell us the lot, the use and the spans you need. A DDES engineer replies.
Our team works in Spanish. You can write to us in English and we will get back to you.
Photo: Julia Taubitz / Unsplash