Cold storage facilities play a critical role in preserving and maintaining the quality of perishable goods, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. One often overlooked aspect of these facilities is the flooring, which plays a vital role in ensuring proper insulation, safety, and functionality.

“Performance and reliability are key in a cold storage warehouse. Maintaining a consistently controlled facility whilst maintaining business efficiency, optimizing inventory movement, and achieving profitability in a highly competitive environment is the challenge of every cold storage warehouse operator,” says global industrial flooring producer Twintec.

Green Span Profiles: Panel and Floor Insulation Components

Green Span Profiles understands the importance of keeping the cold in, and the heat out, in this temperature-sensitive sector as their insulated metal panel systems have been utilized in large-scale cold storage applications for years.

Of course, before you can add walls and a ceiling, you must have a foundation for your cold storage facility.

“One of the most critical aspects in cold storage construction is the structural ground floor slab. It is quite literally the support on which the entire cold storage operation rests,” says Twintec.

Green Span Profiles even has the insulation for cold storage flooring covered after signing an exclusive U.S. distribution partnership with Owens Corning for their FOAMULAR extruded polystyrene insulation solution.

Requirements for Cold Storage Flooring

Flooring in cold storage facilities must meet several crucial requirements to ensure optimal performance:

• Thermal Insulation: The flooring should have excellent insulation properties to minimize heat transfer between the cold storage and the surrounding environment. This helps maintain the desired temperature and reduces energy consumption.
  
  
• Durability: Cold storage flooring must withstand extreme temperatures, heavy loads, and frequent traffic. It should resist cracking, spalling, and chemical damage caused by cleaning agents or exposure to substances commonly stored in these facilities.
  
  
• Hygiene and Cleanliness: Flooring surfaces should be smooth, seamless, and non-porous to prevent the accumulation of moisture, bacteria, and other contaminants. Easy-to-clean surfaces help maintain high standards of cleanliness and reduce the risk of contamination.
  
  
• Slip Resistance: Safety is paramount in cold storage facilities. The flooring should provide adequate slip resistance, even when exposed to condensation or spills. This helps prevent accidents and ensures a secure working environment.

“Unlike general warehousing facilities, cold rooms, and pharmaceutical-grade cold storage facilities require certain specifications because these spaces are highly regulated to ensure that all the health and safety standards surrounding the perishable goods are met,” says the TREMCO Construction Products Group.

Types of Concrete for Cold Storage Flooring

The two common types of concrete used for cold storage flooring are Polyurethane (PU) and epoxy.

TREMCO says PU is the “most common type of flooring used in cold storage facilities because it is seamless, extremely hard-wearing, and temperature/thermal shock resistant.”

Here’s a closer look at each of the two types of concrete used for cold storage flooring:

• Polyurethane (PU) Flooring: PU flooring systems offer excellent thermal insulation, durability, and resistance to chemicals and impact. They provide a seamless, smooth, and non-porous surface that is easy to clean. PU flooring is highly recommended for cold storage facilities where temperature control is crucial.
  
  
• Epoxy Flooring: Epoxy floors are also popular choices for cold storage facilities. They offer good thermal insulation, durability, and chemical resistance. Epoxy coatings create a seamless and smooth surface that is resistant to staining, abrasion, and impact. Epoxy flooring is relatively cost-effective and can be customized with slip-resistant additives for enhanced safety.

Whichever type of flooring is chosen, it will have to be up to the task of handling constant wet conditions, temperature extremes, and the use of acids and alkalis involved in cleaning routines.

Unique Construction Requirements for Cold Storage Flooring

When designing and constructing cold storage flooring, several specific considerations come into play:

• Vapor Barrier: A vapor barrier is essential to prevent moisture from seeping into the concrete slab. It helps protect against frost heave, which can damage the flooring. The vapor barrier should be installed between the insulation layer and the concrete slab.
  
  
• Reinforcement: Cold storage flooring must be reinforced with steel to enhance its load-bearing capacity. The reinforcement ensures the slab can withstand heavy loads and temperature differentials without cracking or structural failure.
  
  
• Control Joints: Due to temperature fluctuations, concrete slabs in cold storage facilities are prone to expansion and contraction. Control joints are strategically placed to allow for movement, minimizing the risk of cracking.

Rack-supported structural slabs, slabs on piles, slab-supporting mobile racking systems, and heavily loaded slabs are some of the systems utilized in the construction of cold storage flooring.

Insulation Beneath the Concrete Slab

Insulation is a critical component of cold storage flooring. It is installed beneath the concrete slab and serves multiple purposes:

• Thermal Efficiency: Insulation minimizes heat transfer between the cold storage and the ground. It helps maintain a consistent and desired temperature inside the facility while reducing energy consumption.
  
  
• Moisture Prevention: Insulation prevents moisture from the ground from seeping into the concrete slab. Moisture can compromise the structural integrity of the flooring and lead to mold or mildew growth.
  
  
• Frost Protection: In cold climates, insulation beneath the slab helps prevent frost heave, which can cause significant damage to the flooring. By minimizing temperature differentials, insulation protects against cracking and displacement.

Owens Corning's high-performance extruded polystyrene (XPS) FOAMULAR insulation is trusted by cold storage architects, engineers, builders, and contractors because it can keep the moisture out while delivering an R-Value of 5 per inch of thickness.

And FOAMULAR, unlike other rigid foam insulations, maintains its R-Value even when exposed to standing water and wet soil.

Key Tenets of Cold Storage Flooring

Apart from the requirements mentioned above, a few additional considerations are vital when designing and constructing flooring for cold storage facilities:

• Proper Sloping: The flooring should have a slight slope towards drainage areas to facilitate the efficient removal of water and prevent pooling, which could compromise hygiene and safety.
  
  
• Resistant to Chemicals: Cold storage flooring may be exposed to various chemicals used in cleaning and sanitization processes. The flooring material should be resistant to these substances to ensure long-lasting performance and maintain a hygienic environment.
  
  
• High-Quality Surface Finishes: Smooth, seamless, and non-porous finishes are essential for cold storage flooring. They prevent moisture absorption, minimize the risk of bacterial growth, and simplify cleaning processes.

The flooring in cold storage facilities plays a crucial role in maintaining temperature control, ensuring hygiene, and providing a safe working environment.

Flooring materials such as PU and epoxy, along with proper insulation such as FOAMULAR and construction techniques utilizing insulated metal panels (IMPs), contribute to the success of these facilities.

By meeting the specific requirements of cold storage flooring, facility owners can enhance efficiency, protect perishable goods, and maintain the highest standards of quality and safety.