FEM Standards for automated distribution warehouses - implications for the design of the floor slab

摘要

Chapter 5 of TR34 advises designers that a comprehensive ground investigation should be carried out and that the potential settlement of the floor should be assessed based on the results of the investigation but little guidance is provided on what degree of settlement, either total or differential, is likely to be acceptable. The difficulty is that the limiting value of settlement depends on a number of variables including, for example, the height of the building and the type of racking and mechanical handling equipment used in the building. It is a matter of engineering judgement to assess the settlement limits applicable to a slab, based on its use, to ensure it remains fit for purpose.