Early involvement key

There can be no doubt that recent growth in the UK warehousing sector will continue. This is a particular consideration for the food and drink industry which is facing a rapid rise in output according to a recent report by the CBI.

Faced with the choice of either extending their existing facility or moving into a larger space, many in the sector are opting for expansion. A recent study by the UKWA found that only 31 warehouse build schemes (totalling 5.8m sq ft) were being developed nationwide at the time of the report. In terms of existing stock, the same report found that only 131 units stood empty for a total of 21.9m sq ft readily available. Compared to occupier demand, it’s likely that there will still be a shortfall in warehouse space in coming years, which may further popularise extensions.

For cold storage facilities, where the environment must be kept at a constant temperature, food safety and hygiene can’t be compromised. So, how can a successful live site extension be achieved?

Cold storage is one of the most important parts of the chilled and frozen food supply chain and a temperature difference of even a few degrees has the potential to cost companies thousands of pounds, so there is no room for error during the extension phase. Early involvement on the part of an experienced Principal Contractor (PC) is the most crucial aspect in pulling off a successful cold store project without disruption and above all, maintaining food health and safety standards 

Here, the PC can work closely with the warehouse operator to fully understand the daily functionality of the site – covering everything from shift patterns, typical delivery and despatch schedules, workflow inside the warehouse and external space available for plant and site offices.

In comparison to the working conditions in a typical warehouse project, cold store construction requires additional planning because of the cold atmosphere workers are exposed to. PCs must consider the amount of time workers can physically operate in a certain temperature and allocate time for sufficient breaks in an ambient environment. Taking all this into account will enable a robust plan to be developed. For larger projects, the area under construction is enclosed within a ’protective barrier’ produced from insulated panels, ensuring the temperature inside is controlled and the construction team can work comfortably.

Account for all stages of construction including the inevitable ‘knock-through’ – which could mean the demolition of entire walls or may only require the installation of doors. If the latter, special pods can be created around the future door space to contain dust and allow for the installation of shutters or rapid-rise doors as required. Should a larger wall space need to be demolished to create an open plan extension, temporary screens can be used to segregate live and construction areas and, depending upon height of the screen required, this can be achieved using lightweight composite panels. 

A successful cold store extension can’t begin and end with the original schedule. Upfront planning should result in an agile method of working that can be adapted if need be – for example if the customer receives a large order and works need to be changed to accommodate. Meeting regularly with all parties means that all involved can respond flexibly to any amendments to the schedule, with day-to-day working taking priority over construction.