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Cold Chain Infrastructure · PIR & PUF

COLD STORAGE ONE BUILD

Most cold storage failures do not happen at the panel or at the frame. They happen in the gap between them, where a structural engineer and a panel supplier never actually spoke to each other. ACE designs the steel and the insulated envelope together, as one building, so there is no gap for the cold chain to leak through.

-40°C

Minimum Rated Temp

One

Supplier, No Gaps

80+

Cold Storage Projects

◆ Structure and Panels as One System
◆ Thermal Bridge Free Design
◆ Chiller to Blast Freeze
◆ Vapour Barrier Continuity
◆ Built at Derabassi
◆ Structure and Panels as One System
◆ Thermal Bridge Free Design
◆ Chiller to Blast Freeze
◆ Vapour Barrier Continuity
◆ Built at Derabassi
◈

No Gap Between Trades

Structure and panel envelope designed together, so the connection details are resolved before fabrication, not argued about on site.

◇

Full Temperature Range

Chiller rooms above zero to blast freeze chambers below minus thirty, all engineered to the specific zone.

◎

Floor to Roof Continuity

Vapour barrier and insulation continuity from floor slab to roof panel, the detail most cold stores get wrong.

◻

One Point of Accountability

One contract, one team, one company responsible for the whole cold chain envelope working as designed.

Why One Supplier Matters

Where Cold Storage Actually Fails

Walk into most failed cold storage facilities and the panels are fine, the steel is fine, but the junction between them is where condensation forms, where frost creeps in, and where the energy bill quietly climbs every month. That junction is nobody’s responsibility when the structural engineer and the panel installer work for two different companies. When ACE designs both, the fixing details, the thermal breaks, and the vapour barrier path are resolved on paper before a single bolt goes in, because the same team is answerable for the whole envelope.

Wall to Floor Junction

Vapour barrier lapped and sealed continuously from floor slab insulation up into the wall panel, no break in the seal.

Structural Penetrations

Every column and brace passing through the envelope gets a thermal break, designed before the steel is cut.

Wall to Roof Junction

Panel fixing at the eave detailed to maintain insulation continuity, the single most common failure point in cold storage buildings.

Door and Dock Seals

Rapid roll doors and dock seals specified and positioned as part of the original design, not retrofitted around a finished structure.

Every Zone Is Different

Designed for Your Actual Temperature

0°C to +5°C

Chiller Room

Fresh produce, dairy, and short-hold storage. Lightest structural and panel requirement in the cold chain.

-18°C to 0°C

Standard Cold Room

The most common cold storage zone. Frozen goods, general cold chain distribution.

-25°C to -18°C

Deep Freeze

Requires enhanced panel thickness and floor frost protection design considerations.

Below -25°C

Blast Freeze

The most demanding specification. Rapid freezing chambers for food processing and export operations.

Who We Build For

Cold Chain Across Every Sector

Food Processing & Export

Blast freeze and cold storage for seafood, meat, and processed food export operations.

Pharma Cold Chain

Temperature-validated storage for vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines.

Dairy & Beverage

High-volume cold storage for dairy processing and beverage distribution facilities.

Retail Distribution Centres

Multi-temperature distribution hubs serving retail and quick commerce cold chain networks.

Questions

Before You Commit

What cold chain operators ask before committing to a structure.

Both, and building them together is what we recommend. When ACE designs the steel frame and supplies the PIR panel envelope as one coordinated package, the panel fixing details, vapour barrier continuity, and thermal bridging at structural connections are all resolved at design stage instead of being negotiated on site between two different contractors.

From chiller rooms at 0°C to blast freeze chambers below minus 30°C. The structural design, panel thickness, floor insulation, and door specification all change based on your temperature zone, which is why we start every cold storage enquiry with your actual temperature and product requirement.

Thermal breaks at every structural penetration, correctly detailed vapour barriers at wall-to-floor and wall-to-roof junctions, and panel fixing systems that do not create a direct metal path from outside to inside. This is exactly the kind of detail that gets missed when structure and panels come from two different suppliers who never spoke to each other.

Rigid foam floor insulation with a vapour barrier beneath the slab, thickness matched to your internal temperature. Frost heave protection through under-floor heating or ventilation channels for facilities below minus 20°C is designed in from the start, not added after a floor has already started to heave.

In many cases yes. We assess your existing structure for load capacity and clear height, then design an insulated envelope and refrigeration-compatible layout that fits within it. Retrofitting is usually faster and less expensive than building new, provided the existing structure has adequate capacity.

Talk to Our Team

Tell Us About Your Project.

Share your requirements and we will come back with a panel specification and indicative pricing within five working days.