The demand for prefabricated warehouse halls in the Czech Republic has increased significantly since the beginning of the 21st century, and the trend continues to rise. One of the main reasons for this is considered to be the lower built-up area index of warehouse halls compared to the rest of Western Europe. Prefabricated warehouse halls are an ideal solution for investors dealing with insufficient storage capacity, thanks to the simplicity of their structural design, speed of construction, and above all, the relatively low prices for a prefabricated hall.
Every investor requires a high-quality project with a long lifespan, good thermal insulation properties, and appropriate fire resistance. All of these are provided by prefabricated warehouse halls, which also require almost no maintenance.
Concept → Feasibility study → Building permit project → Construction and handover of the hall
Concept for the construction of a prefabricated warehouse hall
The investor’s initial concept lays the foundation for every prefabricated warehouse hall project. The basic required data for each project includes:
- Purpose of the building – the most important aspect
- Location of the building – the plot
- Dimensions of the building and a general layout of the interior (administrative section, warehouse size, arrangement of production areas according to intended use, etc.)
- Visualization – for presentation to authorities or for project purposes
Feasibility study of a prefabricated warehouse hall
The starting point for an investor’s decision to build a prefabricated warehouse hall is the feasibility study. Based on this, the specified parameters are adjusted according to the investor’s spatial and financial expectations. The study also includes the intended equipment of the hall and facilities for employees.
The study includes
- Price determination based on the initial inquiry
- Personal meeting to clarify requirements
- Drafting of simple drawings
- Final price based on the drawings
Project for building permit and obtaining the hall permit
Once the approximate price of the project is set, the actual project design follows. The scope of documentation for the building permit is defined by Decree No. 499/2006 Coll. in Annex 1, or Decree No. 146/2008 on documentation of transport structures. The documentation is prepared by a natural person authorized under Act No. 360/1992 Coll. for project activities in construction – the designer. The project itself for prefabricated warehouse halls is not, compared to the process of obtaining the building permit, complicated or lengthy.
Construction and handover of the prefabricated hall
The first step after the building permit is issued is securing and preparing the site, i.e., establishing connection points for electricity or water.
The construction of a prefabricated hall can be carried out in two ways:
- General contractor – in this case, the investor only provides the necessary utility connections. The construction process is supervised by the investor’s technical supervisor, or by the investor themselves if they have the appropriate technical knowledge.
- Subcontractor – in this case, our company starts participating in the construction only after the foundations with marked geodetic points have been handed over. To ensure smooth construction, it is necessary to adjust the surroundings of the substructure.
Stages of prefabricated hall construction
- Substructure and utility connections – immediately after preparing the utility connections and stripping the topsoil, footings, strips, or piles are constructed. This is followed by preparation of the sub-base under the warehouse hall and adjustment of the hall’s surroundings – access roads and storage areas around the hall.
- Assembly of the steel or concrete structure according to the project – the high practicality of prefabricated warehouse halls is ensured by the classic frame steel or concrete structure without a central support. If a large frame span is required – over 25 m – a truss structure or central support must be used. This does not apply to concrete structures, which can achieve other dimensions. Each prefabricated warehouse hall structure is adapted to the specific warehouse operation.
- Cladding installation – the insulation of the hall can be carried out in various ways – sandwich panels with IPN or mineral core, or a combination with a layered roof system with membrane. The IPN core guarantees good thermal insulation properties, while the mineral core provides higher fire resistance and better sound insulation. An uninsulated hall is clad with trapezoidal sheet metal, and the wall structure is extended with girts. By choosing the right type of cladding, the hall can be used efficiently for its intended purpose, and both flammable and non-flammable substances can be stored.
- Installation of infills and metalwork elements – once the cladding is completed, infills such as windows and doors, gates, skylights, and other metalwork elements (ramps, mezzanines, fire ladders, staircases, railings, etc.) are installed.
- Installation of fire protection measures – in prefabricated warehouse halls, great emphasis is placed on the fire resistance of the materials used. For this reason, various security systems are used in the halls – EPS or fire protection of openings between other investor’s buildings.
- Finishing works – after the assembly of the structural shell, the floor is usually installed, most often fiber-reinforced concrete, which can be supplemented with an epoxy coating. After the floor is completed, the individual trades (electrical, plumbing/heating, camera systems, etc.) and finishing works on the access roads or fencing of the hall follow.
After the hall is completed, the project is handed over to the investor and subsequently approved for use, after which the prefabricated warehouse hall can be used. If you need advice, contact the experts listed in the contacts.
