Cold Storage Underfloor Heating

CEI^TM was hired by a freezer construction contractor to provide engineering services in support of a new cold storage building being built in Washington State. CEI’s scope of work included design details for the under-slab glycol heating system and a thermal transfer analysis of the building envelope design. The goal of the analysis was to identify areas of potential condensation problems that could develop into ice as the cold storage was operated. CEI^TM identified multiple areas in the design (such as structural interface steel between freezers and coolers and column connections to roof structure and under-slab structure) where the temperature gradient across the room barrier could pose a condensation problem, and recommendations were made to correct the construction details to reduce the risk of ice development. Our team’s experience with food facilities, and how freezers and coolers are typically operated added to our proficiency in evaluating this design, asking pertinent questions and making engineering recommendations.