Most people have never thought much about the cold storage industry. Even if you’ve been a contractor for one of these projects, you probably didn’t consider how important cold storage is to daily life. Cold storage is literally how we move food around the globe, like transporting blueberries or raspberries from New Jersey down to Florida. To educate yourself on how this industry works, read on for a look at cold storage construction and development.
Where is cold storage often used?
Cold storage can be found in numerous small businesses, restaurants, and other facilities. It can be found in breweries, supermarkets, cannabis companies, and food processing facilities to name a few. The ice cream industry, for example, relies heavily on cold storage.
Anywhere that precise temperatures need to be maintained for long periods of time and through transport will require a cold storage company that specializes in air conditioning. Even plants can be stored in a climate-controlled environment to ensure they make it to their final destination.
The Purpose of Cold Storage
Similar to direct air conditioning for a home, cold storage is all about temperature control. Direct AC services, such as directac123.com, helps to keep your home safe from toxins such as bacteria so cold storage services are not just applicable to businesses. They even protect against the COVID-19 crisis with their HVAC UV light. Companies like Direct AC are expert air purification services and aim to excel at regulating temperatures over long periods of time.
Types of Construction
The construction business does its best to adhere to the needs of the client. That’s why installation for a cold storage unit can include a variety of different services. The construction company can convert an existing space such as a warehouse or storeroom or they can start the project from scratch. The project manager will often determine what is possible when the client gives them the scope of the job. It’s all about time management.
That’s why many small businesses and construction companies use a timesheet template for their payroll. Employees can get confused filling out their timesheets or even forget to do it. With a construction time card template, time tracking won’t be an issue. Paper timesheets can’t be used with a mobile app, so the digital sheet for a smartphone works best.
That type of flexibility in a timecard is just what a project manager needs for the construction of their cold storage facility. Often dry storage facilities are repurposed. However, new construction comes with great flexibility. They also can come with some new technological developments that wouldn’t have been used for a dry facility such as insulated metal panels or insulated concrete.
Design Dictates the Project
Though the building structure plays a major role in what can be done during construction, the design impacts the effectiveness and efficiency of the final project. It also dictates the potential job costs, the number of air conditioner units needed, and the overall way that the inventory will be stored. Two main principles that developers try to adhere to when making a new design are to limit heavy traffic issues and decrease unused space. These issues will affect the ability of the system to regulate temperature.
For humid regions like Florida, the design should factor in the limited time that the unit will be exposed to high humidity. Oftentimes, the design will include a moderately temperature-controlled area to enter the cold storage to help mitigate any issues that would arise. Additionally, all of the spaces should take into consideration the machinery that will be operating within the area. This would include dollies, forklifts, and even shipping vehicles. Consideration for the condensing unit is also important and will impact how difficult it will be to route the ductwork and perform air duct cleaning.
Process for Development
Conception to the final product can take some time, even with constant regular hours put towards the project. Typically, a company will identify a need for its business. From there, they will seek out a contractor for the project. They receive bids from the project and hopefully settle on a company with a long-standing accreditation with plenty of previous work hours and bottom-line prices.
Once they decide on a contractor, they’ll finalize the project details and be able to give a general idea of the total hours needed to complete the unit. Once all of the paperwork has been signed, the contractor will break ground on the cold storage. During this process, the contractor will work closely with the business owner to make sure all specifications are being met as well as adhering to a good timeline. The contractor will run tests on the HVAC system and direct air units after they’ve been installed. Once they’ve finished, the company will begin utilizing their new storage facility.