Solution · Automated high-bay warehouses (AS/RS)
Automated storage and retrieval systems turn a warehouse into a machine. Stacker cranes run at speed between racks 30 m tall and more, so the building around them has to be stiff, straight and dimensionally exact. World Steel engineers, fabricates and supplies the steel that makes the automation work – from the high-bay frame to the pre-zone, conveyor platforms and maintenance access.
In a conventional warehouse the building protects the goods. In an automated high-bay warehouse the building is part of the machine. Stacker cranes travel on a floor rail and are guided by a top rail fixed to the racks or the roof steel; shuttles, lifts and conveyors hand over loads at fixed points. If the roof deflects too much, a column is out of line or the frame sways in the wind, the automation slows down or stops.
That is why ASRS projects are designed around the system integrator's data: rack layout, crane envelopes, rail and top-guide positions, interface loads and the tolerance classes the equipment needs. We take that data as the design basis and deliver steel that holds its geometry – in fabrication, after erection and over the life of the warehouse.
Reference: the ASRS and intake warehouse in Kampot, Cambodia is part of the World Steel project portfolio.
Two ways to build
The choice is made early with the owner and the integrator – it changes who carries the roof, the walls and the wind.
independent racks
A structural steel frame carries roof, walls, wind and snow; the racks stand free inside. Flexible for future changes to the storage system, simpler fire separation and phasing. World Steel designs and fabricates the complete frame.
racks carry the envelope
The racking itself carries roof and wall cladding and the wind. Efficient for very tall, single-purpose stores. The rack supplier designs the racking; we supply roof and wall steel, gable framing, canopies and adjacent buildings to its interface.
docks · picking
The low-rise building in front of the high-bay: goods in, picking, dispatch, offices and truck docks – a conventional steel building with heavy services.
mezzanines
Steel mezzanines and platforms for conveyors, lifts, pick stations and control rooms – with grating, handrails and stairs.
safe access
Crane maintenance platforms, rescue and access walkways, ladders with cages and roof access – detailed to the access standard of the market.
−25 °C
Automated freezer and chilled stores: frame and girts coordinated with insulated panels, vapour control and thermal breaks – see cold storage warehouses.
Applicazioni
Column grid matched to rack modules, top-guide and rail supports, crane envelopes and interface loads taken from the system supplier.
Roof deflection, frame drift and vibration limits set for the automation – often stricter than the code minimum.
CNC cutting and drilling, controlled welding sequences and dimensional checks recorded in the inspection and test plan.
Built-up columns and long-span roof trusses for high-bay heights and wide clear spans.
High-bay frame, pre-zone building, conveyor and pick platforms, maintenance access, stairs, ladders and handrails.
Steel shipped in erection order so the racking contractor can follow the frame bay by bay.
Norme e conformità
The structure is designed to the code of the project location; racking and handling equipment follow their own product standards, applied by the system supplier.
Europe
United States
Australia & New Zealand
Vietnam & AsiaSintesi solo orientativa: prevalgono il capitolato di progetto, l'edizione del codice adottata e l'autorità competente.
Deliverables
Records that let the integrator, the owner and the insurer sign off with confidence.
Before design
Integrator loads, tolerance classes, deflection and drift limits agreed in writing.
Engineering
Frame, roof, platforms and anchor bolts – see approval drawings.
BIM coordination
Tekla model coordinated with racking, cranes, sprinklers and MEP.
Production · site
Every member detailed; erection sequence agreed with the racking contractor.
QA/QC
Critical lengths, hole groups, straightness and base plates measured and recorded.
Traceability
EN 10204 3.1 certificates, welding procedures, NDT and coating thickness records.
Logistics
Containers and bundles packed in erection order.
Site
Survey of anchor bolts, erection method and supervision on request.
Deliverables are agreed per contract; IFC models and DWG files on request.
Tolerances
Racking and crane suppliers work to tight tolerance classes – the FEM 9.831 erection tolerances for crane-served racking, for example, set the position of rack uprights and beam levels in millimetres. The building that supports a top-guide rail, a roof-mounted rail or rack-supported cladding must respect the same order of accuracy.
We agree the tolerance and deflection criteria with the integrator before design, build them into the model and the shop drawings, and verify them in fabrication: member length and straightness, hole positions, base plate flatness and connection geometry are measured and recorded, so erection starts from steel that fits.
Loads & stability
A high-bay warehouse combines large vertical loads from stored goods, crane and shuttle forces, wind on tall façades, roof loads from sprinklers, smoke vents and solar panels, and – in many regions – earthquake actions. Frame drift and roof deflection limits are chosen so the automation keeps running in service conditions, not just so the structure is safe.
For rack-supported buildings, the rack designer verifies the racking under the envelope loads; we design the roof and wall steel that transfers those loads and coordinate interfaces, connection points and erection sequence with the rack supplier.
Fire & insurance
Tall, dense storage drives the fire strategy: in-rack and roof sprinklers, smoke and heat exhaust, compartment walls and access for fire fighting. The steel has to carry sprinkler mains and in-rack piping, provide support for smoke vents and leave space for the protection layout set by the fire engineer and the insurer – for example to NFPA 13 or FM Global data sheets.
Where structural fire resistance is required, we coordinate member sizes with fire protection coatings or other systems approved for the project.
Compare
Indicative comparison – the right answer depends on height, storage system, phasing and local codes.
| Aspect | Building-supported | Rack-supported (clad-rack) |
|---|---|---|
| Who carries roof, walls, wind | Structural steel frame | The racking |
| Future change of storage system | Racks can be replaced independently | Envelope tied to the racking layout |
| Steel weight | Frame plus racks | Racks designed heavier; little separate frame |
| Construction sequence | Frame and envelope first, racks inside | Racks first, cladding follows |
| Typical use | Multi-purpose, phased or mixed storage | Very tall single-purpose and freezer stores |
| World Steel scope | Complete frame and auxiliary steel | Roof, wall, gable steel and adjacent buildings |
Processo
Layout, loads and tolerances agreed with the owner and the integrator.
Building-supported or rack-supported, grid, roof and bracing concept.
Tekla model coordinated with racking, cranes and services; drawings approved.
CNC fabrication, controlled welding, dimensional checks recorded.
Packed and shipped in the order the site needs it.
Anchor bolt survey, supervision and records for handover to the integrator.
FAQ
An automated storage and retrieval system stores pallets or totes in tall racks served by stacker cranes, shuttles and conveyors under computer control. High-bay versions are commonly 20 to 45 m tall, so the building has to be designed around the equipment.
No. Racking and handling equipment are designed and supplied by the system integrator. We design and fabricate the building steel and auxiliary steel to the integrator's loads, interfaces and tolerances, and coordinate with the integrator throughout.
Rack-supported buildings are efficient for very tall, single-purpose stores; building-supported high-bays keep the racking independent, which helps future changes and phasing. The choice depends on height, storage system, fire strategy and local codes, and is made early with the owner and the integrator.
Tolerance and deflection criteria are agreed before design, built into the Tekla model and shop drawings, and checked in fabrication – lengths, hole groups, straightness and base plates are measured and recorded in the inspection and test plan.
Yes. For freezer and chilled high-bays the frame, girts and penetrations are coordinated with insulated panels, vapour control and thermal breaks, together with the refrigeration and fire design.
Our project portfolio includes the ASRS and intake warehouse in Kampot, Cambodia, alongside many conventional warehouses and logistics buildings.
Send us the rack layout, the integrator's interface data and your programme – we propose the structural concept, the steel package and a fabrication plan that keeps your automation on schedule.
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EN 1090 EXC3 · CE
AS/NZS 5131 CC3
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