The demand for efficient storage space is growing with the rapid development of e-commerce and logistics industries. Compared with traditional concrete materials, steel structure warehouses have become the preferred solution for storage buildings due to their large span, fast construction speed, and flexible customization.

Steel is the primary load-bearing material of prefabricated steel warehouse buildings. Its advantages of high strength and durability make it ideal for building warehouses.

What is a Steel Structure Warehouse?

A steel structure warehouse is a storage building whose main load-bearing structure is composed of steel, including steel columns, steel beams, roofs, and walls. All components are prefabricated in the factory and assembled on-site. Compared with traditional concrete structures, it has the advantages of large span, fast construction speed, and low construction cost, so it is widely used in all walks of life.

Why choose a steel structure warehouse?

Economical and efficient: reduce construction and maintenance costs

All components of the steel structure warehouse are prefabricated; on-site construction saves labor costs, and the construction period is shorter, so the construction cost is low. In addition, all steel structures shipped out of the factory are surface treated with hot-dip galvanizing or spraying technology, which makes them corrosion-resistant and have low maintenance costs in the later stage.

Strong and durable: long life and low maintenance requirements

Steel has the characteristics of high strength and corrosion resistance, which makes steel warehouse building wind-resistant, earthquake-resistant, and corrosion-resistant, and can withstand the test of extreme weather such as severe cold and high temperature. Usually, the design life of steel structure buildings is 50 years. Large-scale maintenance is not required during the construction process, and they are durable.

Quick construction: Shorten the construction period and improve efficiency

Compared with traditional concrete structures, steel can be prefabricated. At the construction site, steel structure components can be processed in the factory in advance and quickly assembled on site, which significantly shortens the construction period and allows warehouses to be used in advance. Owners can put them into operation faster, improving economic benefits.

Green and environmental protection: sustainable buildings for energy saving and emission reduction

Steel structure buildings belong to green buildings. Steel is a resource that can be recycled and used. According to statistics, 90% of steel structure materials can be reused, reducing the generation of construction waste and waste of resources. In addition, the scientific and reasonable design of the steel structure warehouse gives it good ventilation, heat preservation, and lighting. The roof of the steel structure warehouse is paved with solar panels. Photovoltaic power generation can meet the electricity demand of daily lighting and air conditioning, saving electricity bills.

Highly flexible: Meet diverse industrial needs

The steel structure warehouse is flexible in design and can be customized according to different storage needs. Cold storage panels (polyurethane sandwich panels) can be used as walls and roofs for warehouses with refrigeration needs to achieve thermal insulation. The mezzanine can also be designed in the warehouse as an office, which can also meet the requirements of later expansion. The length and width can be expanded.

Types of steel structure warehouses

Single-layer warehouses:

Single-layer warehouses are the most common type of warehouse. They have simple design characteristics, a stable structure, and a short construction period. They are usually suitable for large-span and high-space storage buildings. Without a central column, the maximum span of the warehouse can reach 50 meters, and storage shelves can be configured inside to maximize the use of warehouse space.

Multi-layer warehouses:

Multi-layer warehouses increase storage space by designing multiple floors on a limited land area. This type of warehouse is suitable for areas with limited land, effectively saving floor space. Elevators can be installed in the warehouse to facilitate the storage of goods on each floor and flexibly allocate storage space. Compared with single-story warehouses, multi-story warehouses have more internal columns, so they are suitable for storing light goods.

Hybrid steel structure warehouse:

A hybrid warehouse is a storage building that combines steel structure and concrete structure. Usually, concrete is used for columns and walls, and the roof structure uses steel (roof beams, purlins, and roof panels). This can meet the needs of large-span storage, save material costs, and have high fire resistance. Compared with steel structure warehouses, hybrid warehouses have low material costs but long construction periods and lower seismic performance than steel structures. This structure is not suitable for areas with frequent earthquakes.

Steel structure warehouse for cold storage:

Steel warehouse buildings are designed for temperature-controlled cold storage with strict temperature requirements, such as the storage of refrigerated and frozen goods. The walls and roofs of steel-structure cold storages usually use polyurethane composite panels with a thickness of 100-150mm. Refrigerated warehouses are used to store temperature-sensitive items such as food and medicine. In addition, cold storages need to be equipped with refrigeration equipment such as compressors and condensers to ensure that the temperature inside the cold storage is accurately controlled.

Factors affecting the price of steel structure warehouses:

1. Raw material factors-fluctuations in steel prices

The primary constituent materials of steel structure warehouses are steel, including H-shaped steel, C/Z-shaped purlins, steel plates, etc., and their costs usually account for more than 70% of the total construction cost. Steel prices are greatly affected by market supply and demand, iron ore prices, and other factors. For example, when the price of steel rises by 1,000 yuan per ton, the cost per square meter of a steel structure warehouse may increase by 30-50 yuan.

In addition, in the Chinese market, American standard (ASTM) and European standard (EN) steel are usually 10%-20% higher than domestic steel prices, mainly because there are many domestic manufacturers of national standard steel and the market competition is fierce, so the price is relatively low. The market demand for American and European standard steel in China is relatively small; there are fewer suppliers, and it is mainly used for export projects, foreign-funded enterprise projects, or specific high-end projects, so the price is relatively high.

2. Design factors- structural optimization affects the cost

The span, number of floors, column spacing, roof load, and other design parameters of the steel structure warehouse will directly affect the amount of steel used and the construction cost. For example:

Single-layer portal steel frame warehouse: The economic span is usually 18-24 meters. The structural design within this range can reduce the amount of steel used while ensuring safety.

Ultra-large span warehouse (≥50m): If a single-span design is adopted, the amount of steel used is large, while the double-span design (25m+25m) can reduce the amount of steel used by about 30%, thereby reducing costs.
Warehouse load: If a crane needs to be installed in the warehouse, the specifications of the steel columns and steel beams need to be strengthened, thereby increasing the cost.

Reasonable optimization of steel structure design can not only reduce material waste, but also effectively reduce construction difficulty and cost.

3. Climate factors – wind and snow loads and earthquake impacts

Climate conditions are one of the important factors affecting the price of steel structure warehouses, especially under extreme weather conditions, the structure needs to be specially strengthened to ensure safety and durability.

Typhoon areas (coastal cities): Strengthening steel columns and beams and increasing purlins are necessary, and the overall cost may increase by 5% to 15%.
Cold areas (such as Russia and Kazakhstan): Due to the large snow load, a larger cross-section steel frame is required, and the walls and roofs need to be insulated with polyurethane composite panels, which increases the cost by 10% to 20%.
Earthquake-prone areas (such as Japan and Sichuan): It is necessary to increase seismic design and increase the cross-section of beams and columns, thereby increasing additional costs.
When building steel structure warehouses in different regions, local climate conditions should be fully considered to ensure the safety of the structure and optimize cost control.

4. Construction and installation factors – construction cycle and cost control

Construction conditions, construction period requirements and the experience of the construction team will affect the cost of steel structure warehouses:

Tight construction period requirements: If the construction time is limited, additional construction equipment or overtime construction is required, which may cause the cost to increase by 5%-10%.
Site restrictions: If the warehouse is built in a mountainous area, near a river or in an area with inconvenient transportation, the transportation cost and construction difficulty will increase.
Construction team experience: An experienced team can improve installation efficiency, reduce material waste, and thus reduce overall costs.
When planning a steel structure warehouse, choosing a professional construction team and arranging the construction period reasonably can effectively reduce costs while ensuring quality.

In conclusion:

With the advancement of technology, warehouse buildings will become more intelligent. Combined with current automation, the Internet of Things and big data technologies, the storage, monitoring, temperature control and energy management of goods in the warehouse can be optimized to achieve precise control and efficient operation. Steel structure warehouses will be more flexible to meet the growing market demand and promote the warehousing industry into a new era of greater efficiency, greenness and intelligence.