Ground spikes or dowels? Find the best warehouse anchoring

An industrial building, which is able to adapt to the continually shifting requirements placed on the logistics sector, is forward-thinking – just like the modular temporary building from Herchenbach. Should operational requirements change, the aluminium building can be extended, downsized or dismantled in an inexpensive manner. The flexible rental option is therefore growing in popularity among customers.

But is there a similar level of flexibility for foundations as there is for the modular building system? Do customers firstly need to wait a long time for costly foundations with a base plate, which then need to be removed again following the building’s service life? No, in many cases the process is simpler and faster. Discover how aluminium buildings can be simply and securely anchored to the ground – foundations are not absolutely necessary

The advantages

• No foundations required
• Use possible on a range of existing grounds
• Time savings of around four weeks, as base plate does not need to be cast
• Building can be assembled immediately if the ground is suitable
• Savings potential of around 100,000 euros per 1000 m² building, as foundations are not required
• Particularly flexible when it comes to extending or downsizing your warehouse

The disadvantage

• Ground spikes are not always possible due to planning law restrictions

Is there a tarmacked parking area or gravel area on your company premises? Then arrange a meeting with us. In many cases, suitable ground for anchoring a temporary building has been around for a long time. As such, you can give us the go ahead straightaway for assembling the building without having to wait a long time for foundations.

So what does the optimum ground look like where ground spike anchoring is concerned? On natural ground, an approximately 20 cm thick gravel frost protection layer is applied, a base course with a thickness of around 60 cm is positioned over this. Both play decisive roles in the stability of the ground spike. The material chosen for the final surface course - asphalt, paving or gravel - affects the potential use of the building, not the strength of the ground spikes.

Is this already available at your premises? Great. Then you can give us the go ahead without delay. If you are not sure about the exact properties of the ground, make the most of our simple pre-assembly inspection. Then we will inspect the ground to ensure that your building has all the stability it needs. Please also note: Anchoring can only not take place on top soil, as this is not able to withstand tensile forces due to a lack of compaction.

The quantity and size of ground spikes, which are used to fasten the columns of the hall with anchor plates to the ground, are dependent on the size of the building. If planning laws call for additional safety measures, ballast is also possible. For this, the anchor plates are weighed down with concrete blocks.

If ground spike anchoring is not possible, cables are laid in the ground or planning law objects, heavy-duty dowels offer an alternative. A reinforced concrete slab, strip foundation or individual footings are required for anchoring. As one of the great benefits of temporary buildings is their low weight while also being robust against deformation, the load on the foundation is lower. This also saves your purse strings.

The advantages

• Heavy-duty dowels are characterised by their high load-bearing capacity, the supporting mechanisms have been extensively researched.
• They are available virtually anywhere at short notice.

The disadvantages

• Concrete, which is produced as the ground, must meet the minimum requirements of the respective dowel dimensions and be approved, including concrete compressive strength, reinforcement, edge spacing and plate thicknesses.
• If another concrete ground is in place, tests must be run to determine the load-bearing capacity.
• Assembly conditions are complex due to the high load-bearing capacity. However certified assembly technicians are well aware of the critical assembly details involved and ensure that all assembly conditions are met.

Throwing a cursory glance at the surface course does not offer any insights into the stability of the ground. With this in mind, Herchenbach offers a pre-assembly inspection (PAI). In this way, customers obtain the necessary information for constructing a modular temporary building in a swift, safe manner while keeping costs under tight control.

Your advantages: The following points are included in the pre-assembly inspection

1. Geometry check

The dimensions for the temporary building, including minimum spacing, are marked and staked out. Is the spacing sufficient, are the access roads in the correct place? Perfect.

2. Ground scan

Particularly in the case of older surfaces, documents are often missing, which share what has already been laid in the ground. For this purpose, experts use a radar detector to determine whether and how pipes have been laid in the ground. In addition to this, the structure of the ground is analysed for test bores.

3. Tensile tests

Ground spikes are inserted into the ground at selected points in order to test the stability of the ground during tensile tests. Is stability maintained?

4. Elevation profile

Laser technology is used to measure and document the elevation profile of the site. The slope not only indicates whether the columns can be attached as intended, but also in which direction the rain water finds its way to the surface.

If experts give the green light and planning permission gets the go-ahead, following a positive pre-assembly inspection, ground spike anchoring can be started without delay. Laborious foundations are therefore no longer required.