Backed by decades of experience and hundreds of cold storage projects completed, ARCO National Construction’s unparalleled industry expertise has established us as a trusted cold storage facility builder for clients nationwide.
Design-build solutions for successful cold storage construction
With millions of square feet of temperature-controlled space completed each year, ARCO is a leading cold storage construction company. We are expertly capable of providing the best, most cost-effective solutions for clients’ cold storage design and construction needs. ARCO’s team of design-build experts understands the unique challenges a cold storage facility presents and works to effectively analyze key components to reduce exposure and provide the very best overall solution.
490
Cold Storage Facility Projects Constructed
60
Square Feet of Cold Storage Projects Completed
SUPERIOR INDUSTRY EXPERTISE
From foodservice distribution facilities to public refrigerated warehouses and pharmaceutical storage, ARCO knows the key components that need to be explored in the early stages of planning to ensure the most functional and efficient freezer/cooler facility.
- Foodservice Distribution
- Cold 3PL
- Public Refrigerated Warehouse
- Speculative Cold Storage
- Pharmaceutical Storage & Distribution
- Food & Beverage Facilities
- Life Science
Featured Cold Storage Projects
In an industry where expertise is essential, ARCO National Construction is proud to be a trusted advisor to some of the biggest names in the business.
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”As President and COO of ColdPoint Logistics, I have had the opportunity to work with ARCO on our flagship facility. I can personally attest to their character, skill, and expertise as a national design-build contractor. Repeatedly, ARCO has proven to deliver their projects in superior condition, on time, and on budget.
Chad MeyerColdPoint Logistics
Cold Storage Facility Design & Construction
Because cold storage facilities require highly unique and specialized design and construction components compared to typical dry warehouses, it is critical to partner with an experienced contractor. Understanding the crucial elements of these specialized facilities, such as wall types, refrigeration systems, underfloor heating, vapor barriers, temperature requirements, and more, is highly critical to success.
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Wall Types
Selection of wall type plays an important role in how a cold storage facility is cooled. New construction cold storage facilities can be built with insulated concrete walls (tilt-up or precast), insulated metal panels, or a combination of the two. An existing dry warehouse can be converted into a freezer/cooler space through installation of insulated metal panels inside existing walls (box-in-a-box).
Insulated Concrete
Insulated Metal Panel (IMP)
Box-in-a-Box
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Temperature Control & Refrigeration Systems
The choice of refrigeration and its supporting infrastructure plays a critical role in the success of a cold storage project now and in the future. Selection of the most appropriate building type and refrigeration system is unique to every project. Partnering with an experienced cold storage contractor like ARCO is essential in determining the best solution to maintain the proper temperature-controlled storage for a variety of fresh and frozen products.
- Ammonia
- Freon
- Conventional air conditioning
- Commercial splits
- CO2
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Standard Temperatures
Temperature-controlled space within a cold storage facility must be designed and built to accommodate the specific product types that are being stored, processed, and/or distributed. For 3PL or public refrigerated warehouse facilities, incorporating convertible freezer/cooler space capable of accommodating a wide range of temperature requirements is important to increase marketability for tenants and users.
Having designed and built cold storage facilities for a variety of end-users, as well as 3PL and developer clients, ARCO can offer the proper guidance in the design stage of a project when it comes to the proper freezer/cooler temperature standards.
*Below is not an exhaustive list of all temperature standards.
Conditioned:
- Beer Warehouse: 60°F-70°F
- Chocolate (Humidity Controlled): 60°F
- Candy: 72°F
- Pharmaceutical Warehouse: 59°F-77°F
Cooler:
- Cooler: 34°F-36°F
- Cold Dock: 38°F-45°F
- Draught Cooler: 28°F
- Produce Cooler: 34°F-40°F, 45°F, 55°F
- Pharmaceutical Cooler: 35°F-46°F
Freezer:
- Basic Standard Freezer: 0°F
- Standard Freezer: -10°F
- Ice Cream Freezer: -20°F
- Meat Cooler (Freezer): 28°F
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Vapor Barriers
When it comes to cold storage facilities, ensuring proper insulation and a tight vapor barrier is critical. Lack of proper thermal insulation and vapor barrier detailing will result in condensation. Vapor barriers need to be airtight, not just watertight. Even a small amount of air leakage into the cold environment results in moisture with the potential to condense or create ice in a cold space.
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Underfloor Heating
Extreme cold from a freezer can penetrate through the concrete floor past the insulation and into the soil causing moisture within the soil to freeze. Frost can then form in the subgrade soils potentially resulting in floor heaving and cracking and significant structural damage.
Choosing a proper underfloor heating system for a cold storage facility is crucial as soil underneath a freezer floor must be heated to ensure it remains above freezing temperatures to avoid potential damage.
Vent Tubes
Glycol
Self-Regulating Heat Cable
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Design Flexibility & Automation
Many food and beverage companies are looking to incorporate automation capabilities, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or “Perfect Pick” systems into their cold storage facilities. While a facility can almost always be adjusted for automation integration, there are many advantages to incorporating the possibility into a facility’s design, whether it is a new build or renovation project. For example, making accommodations for floor slab capacity, rebar placement, and flatness tolerances should all be considered when potentially incorporating AGV use. Oftentimes, adjusting the initial design for construction is a more cost-effective option to avoid extra expenses by having a specific layout and plan for automation in place. A flexible design can also help limit operational interruptions when renovating an existing facility.
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Site Selection
Because there has been a push to move perishable products through the cold chain at speeds quicker than ever before, locations that offer easy access to transportation infrastructure capable of reaching a large customer base and proximity to raw materials, packaging, and labor are highly sought after. While existing cold storage assets are primarily located within the core of highly populated regions, new developments are often farther away from urban areas due to increasing land costs.
The increased competition for prime site locations has made challenging sites the new norm. ARCO’s site feasibility services empower clients to select the very best site for their facility. By providing site-specific cost information prior to construction, ARCO helps clients make decisions with full knowledge of their impact on cost and schedule.
COLD STORAGE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Design-Build Delivery
ARCO’s design-build approach is unique in that we offer preliminary design at no cost to our customers to remove the risk of substantial upfront expense. Our project delivery method combines quality of design and construction, management of capital expense, and adherence to schedule into a single point of responsibility. As a result, our customers reap the benefits of total integration. Our team of design-build construction experts effectively gains an understanding of each client’s business and analyzes the key components to reduce exposure and provide the best value to clients.
With more than 490 projects totaling more than 60 million square feet completed for our food and beverage clientele, ARCO can take on even the most challenging projects. In an industry where expertise is essential, we are proud to be a trusted advisor of some of the biggest names in the business.
Contact ARCO to learn more about how we can provide creative solutions and alternatives to make your cold storage construction project feasible, regardless of complexity or scale.
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