Warehouse space is a valuable investment because of the future revenue it creates and real estate value (both size and location). The benefit of building new is that you get the exact structure you need and don’t have to worry about retrofitting or dealing with old structural damage.
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In a growing Canadian economy, industrial and commercial enterprises are required to invest and expand their production and logistics capacity. Logistics and warehousing are two of the most important factors in capacity and supply chain management to prevent bottlenecks , disorganization and delays. Although both terms are commonly used within the shipping industry, they mean different things. Warehousing refers to the storage of goods. Logistics involves warehousing along with several other functions in the movement of goods from one place to another. In both uses, the need for a well-designed building to operate supply and inventories is essential.
For construction purposes, warehousing building types fall into two basic types by application:
1. General warehousing and storage
Probably what most people consider as traditional commercial storage buildings, “dry warehouses” are used for storing products, expanding retail channels, or as a co-packing facility or fulfillment warehouse. E-commerce has created a huge opportunity for both short- or long-term pick-and-pack storage (sometimes know as 3PL – third-party logistics service solution providers that are involved with container stuffing/de-stuffing, LTL, FTL, inventory management and shipping online orders). Dry warehouses are large well-ventilated spaces that can be heated or unheated and provide ample space for large, racked inventory storage or space for machines to process and move materials or merchandise around.
General warehouses may be a single or multi-story and can include office and retail spaces. Special building attention needs to be paid for any location that’s involved with storing or using chemicals and petroleum products or in the lucrative market of data storage.
2. Refrigerated and specialized warehousing
The second general classification for warehousing application is refrigerated units for storing or processing perishable foods and growing crops (as with cannabis cultivation or vertical agriculture). Handling frozen and refrigerated food or pharmaceutical products can be among the most challenging aspect for manufacturers and logistics companies. Food safety, through hygiene and pest control engineering, is an especially primary concern that requires optimum management during transportation and storage. These warehouses are built with specialized insulation and environmental controls to offer a wide range of temperatures for handling food products, including fish, meat, poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables and confectionary.
North America is the global leader in the global refrigerated warehousing market terms of value and is expected to maintain its dominance. Construction for food warehousing needs to consider allowances for vapor compression, evaporative cooling and blast freezing for food, beverages and healthcare and pharmaceutical products.
Critical considerations for building your ideal warehouse
Several factors are critical to a successful warehousing operation. First of foremost is access and location. It should be no surprise that most warehouses are located along major highlights or transportation arteries or near seaports or airports. Swift and easy access to key border crossings, international airports, are key locations to accessing local markets and North American consumers.
Being in proximity to key customs centres can help reduce complexity and cost, leverage international trade agreements, manage growth and improve customer experience. Of course, not all companies can choose where their business operates. Fortunately, buildings can be built quickly regardless of site to handle all necessary production and storage needs. Every medium- to large-scaled business is going to face issues of storage space and how to expand their operations effectively and affordably.
Construction budget will always be a prime consideration. Building with pre-engineered steel buildings allows you to custom-design your final structure to your exact size and need at an affordable price without compromising strength and features. Warehousing buildings are more than a simple square shell – special features are added to address operational needs.
Important factors include easy access for loading and unloading with large bays and doors for transports to easily locate and park next to, secured 24-hour access (for the staff you want in), pest controls and sanitation systems to meet health requirements. Warehouse automation and electronic inventory data systems and are innovations that can be incorporated into a new build. A wide variety of control systems can also be built into the structure: security (alarms, security systems, CCTV cameras – all monitored as part of a robust security system), temperature controls, electrical and environmental systems, technology for product handling equipment. No sound warehouse is complete without a full sprinkler system, proper drainage and humidity controls, especially for food service operations.
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Build the ideal warehouse by planning for future needs
An investment into more working space gives you effective return-on-investment and increased revenues for decades to come. Summit Steel Buildings provides custom pre-engineered steel warehousing solutions that can be built quickly and cost effectively to meet the demands of your specific industry. We will provide you with an ideal dry or refrigerated warehouse as your one turnkey building supplier. Contact us for a free quote.
About the author
Frank Melo has a construction civil engineering technology and business background with over 25 years of experience as a business owner and contractor. He was born and educated in London, Ontario and now divides his time between projects primarily in Ontario and British Columbia. He can be contacted at Summit Steel Buildings at (778) 951-4766 or by email at frank.melo@summitsteelbuildings.com or through LinkedIn.
When assessing the cost differences between fabric building costs and traditional structures like wood, steel or concrete, the information can be overwhelming. What’s critical to know are the long-term and short-term cost benefits and the indirect and direct cost benefits. In most cases, fabric clearspan buildings cost significantly less than traditional wood, steel or concrete buildings, and the cost savings can be enjoyed on both upfront building costs and maintenance costs over time. Keep reading to learn how fabric buildings can save you money.
A few factors influence fabric building prices, including materials, labor, maintenance, electricity, and ventilation.
Costs of materials for building projects can vary greatly depending on size and current market prices. While steel frames typically have higher material costs than wood, wood buildings typically must account for a significant portion of waste overages and sheathing. Add in long-term weather damage, pests, mold, warping or rot, and you’ve spent more than a steel frame structure.
Compared to fabric clearspan building costs, which incorporate a certain amount of steel material in its frame, you still save greatly on the fabric roof. At its minimum, a pre-engineered steel building can cost an average of $20 per square foot and increase from there. Fabric structure costs can range between $6 to $30 per square foot.
Construction time is a necessity in any building project. What counts the most, however, is the hours spent on site prep, foundations, erecting the framework, roofing and finishing. Unlike the labor-intensive construction of wood, steel or concrete buildings, fabric buildings are typically quicker to install because of fewer materials and the simplicity of installing fabric.
Steel frames can be erected anywhere from a few hours to a few days, max, depending on the size and amount of steel frame. The fabric is then either pulled across the building in one seamless bag cover or installed in individual panels. This, also, can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. On average, fabric buildings require .02 to .03 man-hours per square foot installed versus .04 to .07 man-hours per square foot installed for steel sheeting which could save you hundreds of man-hours on a 20,000 square foot facility or larger.
Most wood, steel or concrete buildings require annual maintenance such as painting or staining in addition to re-roofing, re-shingling or re-tarring. More money is spent on materials and labor time especially if you live somewhere with cold or wet seasons.
With a fabric clearspan building, costs are saved on annual maintenance. Since fabric buildings do not have screws or nails along the roofline, areas for moisture entry are mitigated, thereby reducing leaks, rust or corrosion. Unlike full steel buildings, the steel frames in fabric buildings are typically hot-dip galvanized, further protecting against corrosion. Additionally, the fabric itself is immune to rust and corrosion and does not break down from UV rays, further keeping your building free from maintenance.
Should a fabric repair or replacement arise, fixes can be done with a patch kit or the removal of an individual fabric panel. On average, repair costs be as low as $2 per square foot for fabric buildings, whereas replacement steel can cost up to $7 per square foot.
Fabric buildings typically offer anywhere from 16% to 19% translucency which means the interior receives an abundance of natural daylight. This is one critical differentiator from traditional wood, steel or concrete buildings. Without the natural light in a conventional building, windows, skylights and artificial lighting is required. Over time, you could end up spending thousands on long-term lighting.
Furthermore, tension fabric structures typically require little lighting for nighttime use since the underside of the fabric roof reflects and disperses any artificial lighting that you do have inside. Thus, you also save on the number of artificial lights you need to purchase. Both short-term and long-term, fabric structures save you thousands of dollars on lighting alone. Solar panels can be added to the fabric building design and installed on top of the fabric roof to further offset energy costs.
Traditional buildings’ heating and cooling costs are significantly higher since the heating and cooling units need to work harder. Since fabric buildings are naturally non-conductive, the interior of a fabric building remains cooler on hot days and warmer on cool days. The fabric does not retain heat from the sun thus maintaining interior temperatures.
To improve ventilation in fabric clearspan buildings, side vents, end wall vents, roof vents, make-up air systems and radiant tubes can all be added to the structure. With Calhoun’s high-top design and versatile profile design, high roof peaks further offer a large volume of air space and circulation. In essence, ventilation and heating and cooling systems do not need to compete with the many sources of airflow as in traditional wood, steel or concrete buildings.
At Calhoun Super Structure, we offer tension fabric buildings for a competitive price of just an average of $6 to $30 per square foot. For a standard CC Series kit that does not come with end walls, the price may be as low as $6 per square foot, while large-scale operations that include ends, foundation requirements, doors and additional accessories will be closer to $15 to $20 per square foot.
For cover-all building costs, you can expect a similar price range. Across the United States, many coverall buildings will need to be replaced or upgraded, and our team at Calhoun Super Structure can handle these repairs and recovers. Factor in the various influences on your fabric building cost to calculate a potential price range. This will help you create a budget that works for you.
For many industries, fabric clearspan structures provide a cost-efficient and time-saving alternative to traditional structures. By significantly cutting your construction time down, you can move into your fabric building quicker and get to work. Also, lower maintenance, lighting, and ventilation costs provide long-term cost savings to put extra money back in your pocket over time. Contact us at Calhoun for more information or request a quote from us today.
To download our helpful cost comparison infographic, click here.
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