Technical-Economic Comparison and Selection of Floor Structural Systems for Multi-Level Cold Warehouses

This white paper provides a quantitative technical and economic comparison for selecting floor structural systems in multi-level cold storage warehouses, targeting cold chain logistics parks, investors, design institutes, and contractors. Using a standard 48 m × 48 m cold storage block with -18°C storage temperature, 6 m floor-to-floor height, and international pallet standards, three systems are evaluated: an 8 m × 8 m reinforced concrete flat slab, a 12 m × 12 m beam-and-slab system, and a 12 m × 12 m cast-in-place post-tensioned flat slab. Key metrics include effective pallet positions, insulation spray area, thermal bridge risks, airflow patterns, and operational energy costs. The 8 m grid yields only 1,170 pallets due to column interference; the 12 m beam-and-slab limits racking to 2 levels because of beam depth, resulting in 1,080 pallets; while the 12 m post-tensioned slab, with its flat soffit, allows 3 rack levels and achieves 1,620 pallets—a capacity increase of approximately 38.5%. Insulation spray area and thermal bridge analysis show that the beam-and-slab system increases spray area by 34% and thermal bridge nodes by 177%. Airflow evaluation reveals that beam pockets in the beam-and-slab design increase fan pressure drop and energy consumption. Overall electricity comparison indicates the post-tensioned slab consumes 0.75 kWh per pallet per day, only 58% of the beam-and-slab scheme, saving approximately CNY 265,700 in electricity costs per block over 5 years. The white paper contains detailed technical data, providing a solid basis for cold storage design decisions.