Logistics company tests low-carbon warehouse floors

Concrete is widely used for warehouse flooring, but it contributes to a building’s embodied carbon.

Logistics company Prologis has tested four types of concrete flooring in its warehouse in the Netherlands. They were laid side by side in the busy warehouse, and each type was evaluated for both performance and carbon savings.

Sigma slab uses post-tensioning steel strands and steel fibre reinforcement to create a jointless floor system that reduces carbon by 19% compared to traditional concrete flooring.

HiberGreen uses traditional steel top mesh reinforcement and a low-carbon concrete mix for a thinner, jointless floor that has the same load-bearing capacity as standard concrete flooring, but with a 17% carbon reduction.

3PRIMX slab uses self-stressing concrete and steel fibre reinforcement to create a thinner, jointless, zero-shrinking system that has a 46% carbon reduction compared to traditional slabs.

Traditional slab flooring was used as a baseline comparison and a performance benchmark. This floor is thicker than the others and uses standard materials and construction methods.

Tests were conducted in a working warehouse, with vehicles and heavy equipment operating on the floors. They showed that the embodied carbon footprint of a warehouse can be reduced by tailored floor solutions that deliver meaningful carbon savings whilst not compromising strength and performance.

Changing the construction of floors is one part of Prologis’s approach to sustainability. They are also focusing on the use of steel, which is also responsible for high carbon emissions. For instance, storage trolleys, racks, and other equipment can be made from steel containing recycled materials.

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