In cold stores the proper design of the floor system is critical to avoid the bending and cracking problems which can occur in inadequately designed low temperature floor systems. Floor designs must be able to withstand the high floor loadings present in low temperature facilities.

The typical low temperature floor design has not changed for many years. The insulation is laid in multiple layers on a vapour retarder either over a sub-slab or directly over the soil. Reinforcement and slip sheets are positioned where necessary and the concrete for the wearing slab is poured directly onto the insulation.

After the wearing slab has cured, it must be able to support the live and dead loads imposed by any moving equipment, storage racks and stored materials. As design loads increase, the insulation plays a more important role in providing support for the wearing slab.

Thanks to an extremely high compressive strength-to-weight ratio, exceptional moisture resistance, low thermal conductivity and long-term performance of Styrofoam™ HD-X extruded polystyrene (XPS) rigid thermal insulation distributed by DCTech, makes it the ideal solution for cold storefloor applications.

When used in cold storefloor panels, Styrofoam™ HD-X XPS insulation will support heavy cargo loads and the dynamic loads of fork lift trucks. When used in walls it absorbs high dynamic loads, such as those caused by wind and vibration. When used in roof panels Styrofoam™ HD-X XPS insulation will support high tensile loads from suspended items.