Automation 101: Why racking installation demands our highest commitment to safety and quality

One of the most critical and safety sensitive phases of building our automated warehouse projects is racking installation.

Many people are surprised to learn just how central racking is in a high bay automated warehouse. It functions as the structural backbone of the entire facility, reaching heights comparable to a thirteen level building and spanning a footprint as large as multiple soccer fields. These structures often support more than one hundred thousand pallet positions and must perform at a constant temperature of minus twenty four degrees Celsius. This environment imposes additional requirements on material selection, engineering accuracy and installation methods.

The technical complexity is significant. Structural analysis can exceed nine hundred pages and the detailed design may require more than fifteen hundred drawings. Compliance must be maintained across Eurocodes, national wind snow and seismic standards, as well as FEM codes. Deep freeze temperatures demand the use of specialised steel grades. Every element must be installed with precision including strict alignment tolerances of fifteen millimetres at forty five metres of height. The correct installation of the bracing towers in the front zone is particularly important because they safeguard the long term stability of the entire structure.

These factors make the racking phase one of the most high risk periods of a project. Heavy equipment lifting and hoisting activities work at height and simultaneous operations require rigorous coordination and disciplined execution. Safety and quality therefore need to operate as an integrated system. Our structures are designed in parallel with the assembly process to minimise work at height and simplify every step. Technical discussions with installation teams before during and after assembly ensure that the safest and most effective solutions are identified early.

Our commitment remains unwavering. Zero harm is our standard. Quality excellence is equally essential supported by a robust inspection plan that verifies every block and frame. Safety and quality are not just goals; they are the values that define NewCold.

Read more about NewCold Metal Construction here: NCMC – NewCold