Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
(OP)
Pals
I once came across a heavy warehouse floor, the type that DHL, TNT,FEDEX would use. Spans are typical 15m(45ft) and live loads are 5metric tons/m2 (250 psf).
In my first experience we used heavy steel girders in box shape, and made sense yet was heavy.
I saw one being desined using waffle slabs and heavy RC beams. Beams are 160cm(5.3ft). Makes sense but back-of-the-envelope calcs shows contractor will face heavy reinforcing.
Any other efficient system?
respects
IJR
I once came across a heavy warehouse floor, the type that DHL, TNT,FEDEX would use. Spans are typical 15m(45ft) and live loads are 5metric tons/m2 (250 psf).
In my first experience we used heavy steel girders in box shape, and made sense yet was heavy.
I saw one being desined using waffle slabs and heavy RC beams. Beams are 160cm(5.3ft). Makes sense but back-of-the-envelope calcs shows contractor will face heavy reinforcing.
Any other efficient system?
respects
IJR






RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
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RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
DaveAtkins
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
www.SlideRuleEra.net![[idea] idea](https://www.tipmaster.com/images/idea.gif)
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
Mike McCann
McCann Engineering
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
Post tensioned beam and slab would work well. Wide flat beams, probably 2 way beams for that span and loading, and preferrably bonded PT to get a better structure but that is sure to be ignored in USA.
It would be partially prestressed with significant extra reinforcement top and bottom for strength and crack control.
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
DaveAtkins
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
I think the most practical solution would be one of the two suggestions above, with the decision probably coming down to what is done in your area.
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
That is a logical part of the design. The idea of using bonded PT and partial prestress will reduce the amount of PT required as long as all deflection conditions are checked properly (upward and downward) and it is easier to cut holes in as hokie66 pointed out. In fact, if hole cutting is a requirement, a secondary beam system could be included to give much smaller slab bays and the slabs would then be RC only with PT beams. Then the whole slab panels could be cut out later if required.
If they use decent software (I am not allowed to mention brand names but the one I am talking about does not come from the USA) that incorporates all of these checks properly to design it then transfer as well as long term deflection is one of the checks.
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
We didn't even consider using PT or reinforced conc.
RE: Your design experience with heavy warehouse floors-Discussion request
Good point. Did you guys checked vibration?