What types of steel warehouses are available?
For different storage scenarios, we offer a wide range of steel building structure options to suit specific needs:
- Standardized portal steel frame (warehouse): It is an economical and efficient steel structure storage solution. It is made of factory-prefabricated American standard A36 steel components or equivalent European, national, and other steel materials. It can be quickly processed and installed, and the construction period is shortened by more than 50% compared with traditional concrete buildings. This structure is designed with standard spans such as 20×30 meters and 30×40 meters to form large column-free spaces, which not only saves 30% of steel consumption but also reduces 40% of construction costs. Its modular design supports flexible expansion in the later stages, and internal spaces can be freely divided. The structure is earthquake-resistant up to 8 levels and wind-resistant up to 70 meters/second. In addition, the 100% recyclable nature of steel makes it an outstanding environmental advantage, and the temperature insulation effect can be enhanced by adding insulation layers such as rock wool sandwich panels. At present, the unit cost of this type of warehouse is about 110-180 USD/㎡, which is an ideal choice for balancing efficiency, cost, and practicality.
- Large-span space trusses (warehouses): Using steel truss and space frame technology, it can achieve a single-span column-free space of 40×60 meters, 50×80 meters, or even 60 meters (the maximum span of the XTD steel structure truss structure can reach 140 meters without support). Its core advantages lie in ultra-high space utilization and industrial-grade bearing capacity. Through the on-site assembly of prefabricated steel components, the construction period is shortened by 20% compared with traditional warehouses. At the same time, the column-free design increases the storage area by 15%-20%, which is particularly suitable for storing large goods such as automotive parts and aviation equipment. The structure adopts an H-shaped steel and truss system, and with a modular design, it can also flexibly expand the shelf or automation equipment area. At present, the unit cost of this type of warehouse is about 180-260 USD/㎡, and it is widely used in logistics hubs and manufacturing warehousing.
- Steel structure multi-storey prefabricated buildings (warehouses): Through BIM-driven modular design, factory-prefabricated steel components are assembled on-site into a modern storage solution in the style of multi-storey buildings. Its core advantages lie in efficient construction and intelligent space utilization. Using high-strength steel and modular design, the construction period of this type of warehouse can be shortened by 50% compared with traditional buildings. At the same time, the vertical shelf system can achieve a 300% increase in space utilization, which is particularly suitable for urban centers with land shortages. At the same time, it has excellent seismic resistance, with a designed seismic resistance of more than 8 levels. With the help of automated stackers and intelligent management systems, it can achieve unmanned and efficient operation.
What are the features of steel structure warehouses?
1. High strength and light weight
Using high-strength steel (such as A36) and truss structure, the single span can reach 60 meters, realizing a large column-free space, and the space utilization rate is increased by 15%-20% compared with concrete warehouses. At the same time, the self-weight is reduced by 30%, and the foundation cost is reduced by 40%.
2. Fast construction and flexible expansion
The components are prefabricated in the factory and assembled with bolts on-site. A 6,000㎡ warehouse can be completed in only 40 days, shortening the construction period by more than 50%; the modular design supports later horizontal or vertical expansion to adapt to business changes.
3. Environmental protection and sustainability
Steel is 100% recyclable, with less construction dust and noise pollution, which meets the green building standards, but regular anti-corrosion maintenance (generally once every 5 years) and the installation of an insulation layer to make up for the insulation shortcomings.
4. Safe and stable
It is earthquake-resistant to level 8 and wind-resistant to 70 meters/second. The “plate rib structure system” is adopted to ensure overall rigidity, but attention should be paid to the node welding quality and roof anti-rust treatment.
5. Economical and efficient
The unit cost in 2025 will be about 180-260 USD/㎡, and the comprehensive cost is 3%-5% lower than that of concrete. It is especially suitable for e-commerce logistics, manufacturing, and other scenarios that urgently need production.
What are the usage scenarios of steel structure warehouses?
- Logistics and warehousing: The e-commerce transit warehouse and express sorting center adopt a 50×80 meter column-free large-span design, combined with an automated shelf system, which increases storage efficiency by 20%; the cold chain logistics base optimizes the cold zone layout through BIM, reducing energy consumption by 15%.
- Industrial manufacturing: The auto parts warehouse adopts an H-shaped steel truss structure to achieve a load-bearing capacity of 6 tons/㎡; the mechanical equipment workshop is equipped with a 30-meter removable partition wall to adapt to the needs of production line changes.
- Agricultural field: grain storage uses aluminum-zinc anti-corrosion steel structure with a service life of 25 years; greenhouses are integrated with photovoltaic roofs to achieve the three uses of “photovoltaic storage and agriculture”.
- Commercial transformation: Modular steel structures can be quickly transformed into a 20,000 square meter large supermarket or an exhibition center equipped with liftable walls, increasing space reorganization efficiency by 40%.
- New energy supporting facilities: The photovoltaic component warehouse achieved rapid delivery of 6,000 square meters in 40 days, adapting to the construction period of the wind power project; the earthquake resistance of magnitude 8 ensures the safe operation of the emergency material reserve warehouse.
- Pharmaceutical industry: GMP-certified clean workshops use light steel structures to achieve a dust-free environment (such as a 19.2-meter-high stereoscopic warehouse), and are equipped with fire-retardant coatings to meet secondary fire resistance requirements
- Food processing: Cold chain warehouses and quick-freezing workshops adopt a steel structure with a large span (30 meters per span), an integrated insulation layer to achieve ±2℃ temperature control, and a construction period 50% shorter than that of concrete
- New energy equipment: photovoltaic module warehouse equipped with BIPV roof (reducing energy consumption by 30%), wind turbine blade warehouse adapted to 50-meter long cargo storage
- Aerospace: The aircraft maintenance hangar uses a 100-meter column-free space, and the H-shaped steel truss has a load-bearing capacity of 8t/㎡, which supports heavy lifting equipment
- Data center: Modular steel structure room enables rapid expansion, earthquake resistance of level 8 ensures server safety, and is equipped with an intelligent temperature control system
XTD Steel Structure has always been based on engineering mechanics and driven by cutting-edge technology to create steel structure solutions for modern storage spaces that are lightweight, strong, and intelligent.
Diversified applications of steel structure warehouses
Characteristics and general technology of steel structure storage buildings
- Core features: large span, high load-bearing capacity, lightweight, fast construction
- Common materials: A36 steel, cold-formed thin-walled steel, space trusses, portal steel frames, light steel keel frames
Application scenarios of steel structure warehouses
| Industrial and production buildings | |||
| Manufacturing workshop | Assembly plant | Petrochemical facilities | Electronics stacking workshop |
| Food Processing Center | Material yard | Logistics Base | Modular processing production line |
| Logistics and commercial facilities | |||
| Urban distribution center | Cold chain distribution warehouse | Car 4S shop | Steel Frame Warehouse Apartments |
| Central Kitchen | Logistics transfer station | E-commerce live broadcast base | Large warehouse supermarket |
| Public and cultural buildings | |||
| Sports venues | Convention and Exhibition Center | Aircraft maintenance hangar | Emergency Material Reserve Center |
| Transportation hub facilities | Farmers Market | Agricultural products distribution base | Sports and Cultural Center |
| Agriculture and Special Construction | |||
| Farmers Market | Agricultural products distribution base | Intelligent greenhouse | Agricultural machinery storage |
| Pesticide storage warehouse | Hazardous Chemicals Warehouse | Vertical Farming | Intelligent grain storage |
| Emerging fields | |||
| Big Data Equipment Center | New energy storage station | Photovoltaic module warehouse | |
Steel structure warehouse vs. Traditional concrete warehouse
| Core Performance Comparison | Steel Structure | Concrete |
| Strength to Weight Ratio | 3.8×103 MPa/(kg/m³) (Q235 steel) | 0.12×103 MPa/(kg/m³)（C30） |
| Span | Up to 100 meters without columns | Dense columns required |
| Earthquake resistance | Greater than or equal to level 8 (GB50011) | Less than level 7 |
| Construction period (6000㎡) | 40 days (prefabrication rate greater than or equal to 95%) | 120 days |
| Precision Control | Steel structure component error ±2mm | Concrete pouring error is ±15mm |
| Cost per square meter | 800-1500 yuan/㎡ | 1000-1800 yuan/㎡ |
| Ground treatment | Reduce by more than 30% | 100% foundation reinforcement is required |
| Resource Utilization | More than 90% recyclable, steel is 100% recyclable | Less than 10% (construction waste) |
| Maintenance cycle | 20 years/time (anti-corrosion) | 5-8 years/time (crack repair) |
| Carbon emissions | 1.2tCO2/㎡ | 2.8tCO2 /㎡ |
| Construction pollution | Dust reduction by 70% and noise reduction by 50dB | Large dust and noise |
| Flexibility | Can be expanded at any time as needed | Cannot be modified |
Data source: 2025 Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Industrial Building Report
Main components of a steel structure warehouse
I. Load-bearing structure system
1. The steel column adopts Q355B S355JR A572 SM490A grade H-shaped steel (section 400×400×12×20mm), with a compressive strength of 345MPa. The column foot is connected to the foundation through M30 anchor bolts
a. Wind-resistant columns (KFZ mark) are used in special scenarios, with a wind load bearing capacity of 1.5kN/m2
2. The main steel beam is welded H-shaped steel (height 600-1200mm), and the secondary beam is hot-rolled H-shaped steel (HN400×200), with an allowable deflection ≤L/400
a. Truss beams are used for large-span warehouses, with a maximum span of 100 meters
II. Roof system
1. Purlin C-type/Z-type cold-bent thin-walled steel (C160×60×20×2.5mm), galvanized 275g/㎡, anti-corrosion life 25 years
a. Combined with straight braces (Ø12 round steel) and diagonal braces (XT mark) to form a stable system
2. Roof panels: Double-layer corrugated steel plates sandwiched with 100mm rock wool (heat transfer coefficient 0.45W/(㎡·K)), sound insulation performance 60dB
a. BIPV photovoltaic roof system (power generation efficiency 18%) is becoming a new standard
III. Support system
| Type | Specification | Function |
| Horizontal Support (SC) | Ø20 round steel | Reduce the calculated length of the roof chord by 30% |
| Column support (ZC) | Seamless steel pipe Ø159×6 | Improve lateral stiffness, seismic fortification intensity 8 degrees |
| Tie rod (XG) | Q235 round tube Ø89×4 | Ensure spatial geometric stability |
IV. Enclosure system
1. Wall panel: 50mm thick polyurethane sandwich panel (combustibility grade A), wind pressure resistance 3.0kPa
2. Gutter: 3mm galvanized steel plate gutter (GBTG mark), drainage slope ≥ 2%
V. Connection system
- High-strength bolts: 10.9 grade M24, pre-tension 225kN (friction type connection)
- Self-tapping screws: ST4.8×25mm, zinc coating thickness ≥5µm
Frequently asked questions about steel structure warehouses:
What are the cost components of a steel structure warehouse? What is the price range?
Manufacturing cost of a steel structure warehouse: China’s ex-factory price is about 805 yuan/㎡ (materials 525 yuan + construction 200 yuan + design 50 yuan + management 30 yuan)
Influencing factors: regional differences (labor costs in large cities will increase by about 15%), warehouse height (cost +8% for each additional 1m), automation equipment (increase of 200-500 yuan/㎡)
What is the return on investment of a steel structure warehouse?
Investment return recovery cycle: Under normal circumstances, the return on investment of a steel structure warehouse is about 5-7 years, and the photovoltaic integrated warehouse can be shortened to 3 years
Residual value comparison: steel structure recovery rate is 90%, concrete is less than 10%
What are the design specifications and standards for steel structure warehouses?
According to China’s steel structure warehouse design standards
- Load requirements: ground load ≥5kN/㎡, floor load ≥2kN/㎡ (GB50017-2025)
- Earthquake resistance level: 8-level earthquake resistance (Q355B steel has ductility advantage)
- Steel comparison: Q355B (China) ≈ S355JR (Europe) ≈ A572 Gr.50 (US)
- Anti-corrosion treatment: Hot-dip galvanizing has a service life of 25 years, and painting requires 5 years of maintenance
How can steel structure warehouses be customized to meet specific needs and applications?
1. Intelligent upgrade of the Internet of Things system: inventory management efficiency increased by 40% (AGV + three-dimensional shelves).
2. Photovoltaic roof: BIPV system power generation efficiency of 18%, annual emission reduction of 1.6 tCO₂/㎡.
3. Special scene adaptation cold chain warehouse: ±2℃ temperature control + 100,000-level purification (pre-prepared food central kitchen).
4. Hazardous chemical storage: explosion-proof electrical + UN38.3 certification (battery warehouse).
5. Corrosion protection: coastal areas require aluminum and zinc plating (275 g/㎡) + regular testing.
6. Fire protection design: automatic sprinkler system + fire resistance limit of 2.5 hours (GB50016).
7. Green building certification: LEED certification can get a subsidy of 5-8%.
8. Higher level of earthquake resistance: Will need to pass GB50011-2010 test.