Building high-bay warehouses

A project with vision

November 2024

We have long dreamed of expanding our warehouse and logistics space - more efficiently, more digitally, more sustainably. In November, the go-ahead was given for the first expansion phase of our high-bay warehouse (HBW). A clear step towards the future that is far more than just a technical construction project: It is our joint path into a new era of logistics. The building application is entitled: "Expansion of high-bay warehouse - 1st expansion stage" Location: Schinkenstraße 9, 33415 Verl Or as we call it in everyday life: Project 24066 Ehlert in Verl.

The first step is to prepare the construction site. This is carried out by Hermann Kathöfer GmbH on behalf of BREMER SE.

Construction site with heart - the people behind the project

It is impressive to see how many bright minds are putting their heart and soul into the project. At the first construction meetings in November, representatives from over 20 companies and specialisms regularly sat around the table - from Bremer as general contractor, architects and structural engineers to specialists in fire protection, IT, electrical, heating/ventilation/plumbing/air conditioning (HVAC) and, of course, our own colleagues from logistics, project management and management.

Special thanks already go to our construction partner Bremer Paderborn GmbH & Co. KG and our partner XPERT Consulting + Management GmbH, who are managing and steering the project with true professionalism. And also a big compliment to all those who sit with us every week in the Jour-Fixe meetings - in person or virtually.

Construction meeting 1 to 5

Here we go

A total of five construction meetings were held in November (from 31 October to 28 November). Nothing was left to chance. Planning, communication and responsibilities were defined in a structured manner.

And the subject of the construction sign also became concrete: 3 metres wide, 4 metres high - clearly visible in the direction of Schinkenstraße. Even small details such as the correct presentation of the "XPERT" logo were coordinated with attention to detail. (Spoiler: it is written in CAPITAL letters 😉)

with every step

Palpable anticipation

What could hardly be seen on the construction site even in November was prepared all the more intensively in meeting rooms, emails and project plans. But something else was noticeable: the energy.

Every decision, every tick on the to-do list, every open plan on the table was one step closer to a high-bay warehouse that will reshape our future.

Looking ahead

Review with heart

November was the month of the basics: Contracts, plans, teams, decisions. A month full of coordination, communication and concentration. And yet there is a quiet pride when you look at what we have achieved in these weeks.

The entire topsoil has been removed and the new rainwater retention basin excavated. The dismantling of the existing drainage system and the new connection of the existing drainage system will follow.

Strong team

Our partners

In November, the construction site belonged (almost) entirely to one company. Hermann Kathöfer GmbH prepared the ground for the new building and, together with Bremer SE, laid the foundation stone for further construction progress.

The construction site comes to life

December 2024

December 2024 was a month in which everything felt tangible for the first time for the "high-bay warehouse expansion" project. The long phase of planning and coordination had finally reached its climax. The first construction machines arrived on site and it was suddenly much more than just a pile of rubble and sand. The construction plans were being dredged and concreted here.

We could hardly believe it when the first in-situ concrete was poured. A real highlight! This step was crucial in order to create the foundations for the subsequent precast concrete elements on which everything else could be built. The biggest moment was the "ground-breaking ceremony" for the floor slab. A milestone that we had all wished for and which has now become a reality. It is still just a modelled surface, but you can already guess what it will look like in a few months' time.

The challenge

December weather

Of course, December also played its part in the challenges of the construction project. The weather repeatedly threw a spanner in the works. Storms and rainfall made work more difficult, but never stopped it. Instead, there were always creative solutions and adjustments to the schedule.

During the Christmas holidays, the motivation remained unbroken. There are so many ideas, so many details to refine and develop further. We have taken the first steps in the new warehouse, but there is still a long way to go.

In December 2024, our project was transformed from a vision into reality. Every decision, every detail, every hour of work is already bearing fruit.

The cold start with plenty of exercise

January 2025

While many people were still slowly coming out of holiday mode in January, our construction site on Schinkenstraße was already back at full throttle. Not a gentle glide into the new year - but a loud start with construction helmets, deadline pressure, coordination and a large portion of teamwork.

Looking back, January was perhaps the month in which the project really took off. Because now we were no longer just planning - now we were actually building.

Back from the Christmas break

immediately fully available

The first major construction meeting of the new year took place on 9 January. The lists were long, the diary full - but everyone turned up with vigour and energy. The first glance at the updated schedules showed that the time frame was ambitious - but feasible.

A real sticking point: the planned façade opening on the existing building in week 9. A number of steps had to be prepared in January so that this could be carried out as planned. Pure coordination - and on a building that is working on several corners at the same time.

Statics

The big maths pays off

A key topic in January: the base plate. After all, what use is the most beautiful warehouse if it doesn't stand on stable ground? The reinforcement plans for the HRL floor slab went to the structural engineer in January and were approved shortly afterwards. What a good feeling! At the same time, the final coordination of the empty pipe routing below the floor slab was underway - this may sound technical, but it is crucial for later extensions.

The base concreting was also prepared intensively. It is to take place in two days - the so-called day field joint, i.e. the interface between the two concreting sections, had to be perfectly planned and coordinated with everyone involved.

Back from the Christmas break

immediately fully available

The construction site is slowly taking on a real face: the site organisation is working - from material logistics to disposal. The containers are in place, the routes are defined and the trades are increasingly coordinating themselves independently.

A real sticking point: the planned façade opening on the existing building in week 9. A number of steps had to be prepared in January so that this could be carried out as planned. Pure coordination - and on a building that is working on several corners at the same time.

Details, Details

details

Before the supports can be erected, the drainage must be installed in the ground. Precision is required here, especially at the interface with the existing building. The drainage runs along the existing structure and between the first and second row of columns in the goods entrance. In order to maintain the necessary gradient, the pipes run with very little overlap.

A geogrid is therefore also installed to absorb the pressure generated by the base plate and distribute it better over the surface.

Conclusion

A month with energy and structure

January 2025 was a real feat of strength - but also a month that shows we are on track: We are on track. The collaboration is working, the first major topics have been finalised or are in the implementation phase. It's a bit like a relay race: The start phase is behind us - now comes the middle sprint. And it is with this spirit that we are starting February - then it's really high time: the installation of the precast concrete elements begins!

Now it's time to go (medium) high

February 2025

Perhaps the most symbolic moment of the month: The first columns were erected. Huge components, erected with millimetre precision, hovered over the construction site on the crane and were placed with centimetre precision. A milestone. And also an emotional moment for many of us: from a plan on paper to a visible, tangible structure.

The shell is growing. And with it our anticipation.

The next big step is imminent

Everything in position

February was the month of fine-tuning - the plans, the details, the agreements. You can feel that the building site is ready. March will be the month in which the first solid structures take shape. It's as if everything is getting into position - for the big moment when concrete, steel and technology visualise what we all believe in together: our future in Schinkenstrasse.

Steel, statics & structure - we build the future

March 2025

March was all about the floor slab - the load-bearing foundation of our high-bay warehouse. The base concrete layer was prepared with the utmost precision, including the planning of the day field joint. One major decision was to construct the slab without a slip sheet - to make it easier to install the anchor boxes. At the same time, all the prefabricated concrete parts were assembled on the construction site, so that we already had a finished shell in the 2nd week of March.

Progress has also been made on the topic of energy supply: the transformer station has been planned, the delivery has been coordinated and the offer from Westnetz has been checked and approved. The tension - both literally and figuratively - is rising!

when coordination is the key

Strong teams

The sprinkler crash planning brought Calanbau, Niewels, Beckhoff and Bremer together - centimetre work with a big impact. - The TGA planning, cable and pipe routing and coordination with the fire brigade also showed how smoothly good communication can run - both digitally and on site.

The whole thing was rounded off with additional assignments - e.g. Saturday work on 29 March to lay the iron. You can feel that this is more than just a job - it's a joint project with heart.

Moulds take shape

Façade, gatekeeper & crane parking space

A lot has also happened in terms of the building structure: - The façade details were finalised, including the deformations from the rack construction. - The window work for the gatehouse was awarded to a local company. - And the crane site? After intensive site visits, the position at the front of the HRL was chosen - including adjustments to the canalisation and green strips.

It is these structural decisions that make the difference between planning and reality.

The feeling on the construction site

Progress you can touch

March 2025 was a month of visible and tangible change. The construction site is no longer just a project on paper - it is alive. From the construction site to the completed shell, our project is growing a good bit every day. And it shows that the future doesn't begin at some point, but is created here and now.

Whether in the planning of the roof details, the discussion on emergency drainage or the many small approvals: You can feel everywhere that the high-bay warehouse is being built by people with responsibility and passion. And now? Now it's time for April - and that's when things get really exciting: the building height is increasing and the structure is taking off.

He does what he wants

April 2025

April welcomes us with good, dry weather. What the farmers and gardeners don't like ensures that we make rapid progress on the construction site. The anchor boxes for the high-bay racking are completed and the steel braiders start installing the reinforcement.

Good progress is also being made on the roof. The concrete cavity ceilings are being sealed, the skylight domes installed and the insulation laid. And civil engineering is not lagging behind either. We (almost) have a finished basement...

Nerves of steel

Concrete!

The weather forecast for the week of Easter, when we have planned the concreting of the base for the HRL, is bad. Now we are looking forward to the forecast for Monday and hope that we can start on Tuesday after all. The reinforcement is in place and the formwork has been additionally supported.

A plan B was already discussed and agreed during the construction meeting.

We pour concrete first

The first half of the floor slab

After a glorious start to April, the sun looks rather poor for the concreting date. We therefore decide to pour the first half of the floor slab for the HRL on 15.04.205. The concrete mixers start rolling at 6am. Over the course of the day, a good 60 lorries drive through Schinkenstraße to the construction site.

The day-span joint was formed using expanded metal and is holding. Just like the reinforcement and the concrete pump, which does its job all day and looks and, above all, sounds as if it is whistling out of its last hole. But that's normal.

And then follows

The second half of the floor slab

The second act of the base plate will then follow on the Friday after Easter. Similar to "Asterix and the Averner Shield", the first half of the first slab is followed by the second half of the first slab. In contrast to the comic, however, the people here do a very good and very fast job and the weather holds.

Nothing now stands in the way of the subsequent steel construction work, i.e. the construction of the high-bay warehouse.

No waiting

May 2025

May begins like April ends. Everything is running :) While the floor slab is hardening (maximum load-bearing capacity after 28 days), civil engineering is laying the rainwater and wastewater sewer in the access road. The position had to be adjusted once again for the crane site for the installation of the RGB (rack operating equipment) and so the sewers now run in the centre of the "street".

In addition, the L-shaped kerbstones and the drainage system for the deep courtyard are installed. The roof is completed, except for the parapet rails, and the sprinkler system is installed in the goods entrance.

Everything in the box

The steel construction begins

In the second week of May, the time has come. The first parts for the high bay racking are delivered. At the same time, the assembly team arrives on site and knives in the anchor boxes. They all remain in place. Good work by the fitters and during concreting!

Now the screws are placed in the anchor boxes and grouted. The shelf supports will be attached to these later.

Staring holes in the supports

Assembly of the first shelf blocks

With the start of the delivery of the steel parts for the shelving blocks, things are slowly getting tight on the construction site... One by one, the entire shelving system is brought to the construction site in individual parts. Unfortunately, the material cannot be assembled quickly as important parts are missing at the start. And then the holes in the supports for the outer blocks are also wrong and don't fit.

This is followed by panic, escalation and then finally, a week later, a pragmatic solution. The wrong uprights are collected and we start assembly in the centre of the planned system. At the end of May, the first rack block....

Concrete for the third time

Floor panel in incoming goods

At least when it comes to the shell, everything is running like clockwork. On 28 May 2025, the floor slab is poured in the incoming goods area. The concrete pump goes through a gate of the new goods receipt and is guided with hoses to the part in front of the high-bay warehouse. The concrete is then poured from there to the ramps. A real back-breaking job!

The weather plays along, despite occasional rain, and in the end the slab lies as expected. From here on, we can continue. Everyone is a little tense, but we are still on schedule and are confident that the shelving system will be completed.

It should become a shelf

June 2025

The steel construction is dragging on... After the unfortunate start, the assembly doesn't really get going. As the material for the shelves is spread all over the construction site, the pre-assembly of the individual shelf blocks takes longer than expected. In addition, improper storage resulted in damage to the parts, which had to be repaired afterwards. We had imagined things differently.

Beyond the horizon

Small rays of hope

Despite all the difficulties and the cramped conditions, the first rack block grows into the sky. To do this, the block pre-assembled on the ground is erected and lifted by crane over the block already standing on the base plate. Both parts are then bolted together at the "feet". Of course, this is only possible when there is relatively little wind. Another factor that sets us back on some days.

When the first block reaches over our stock, we are all happy about the progress that is finally visible. There is certainly some friction on the building site, but in the end everyone pitches in to achieve a good result.

Always take it easy

And then with a jolt

In mid-June, the first 3 sections are complete and the outer section to the incoming goods area can finally be installed. The supports are in place and now things are moving really quickly. Precision work is required, as the blocks have to be carefully threaded between the existing sections and the incoming goods area. From here on, things continue without incident. The HRL grows a little more every day.

Climb onto the roof

Façade work begins

Work on the façade and roof begins at the end of June. Firstly, the trapezoidal roof panels are installed on the HRL so that the hanging cages for the installation of the façade can be set up there later. The delivery of the panels means that there is even less space on the construction site. Now it's time to coordinate who does what where and when so as not to stand on each other's feet.

Summer, sun, oh no

July 2025

If the dust on the construction site caused us problems in the spring, now it's the rain that pours down in heavy showers over the site in July. But well, the weather is good.... While the steel construction team is completing the final work on the racking (pouring under the supports, installing the last blocks on the northern gable wall, ...), the façade is making good progress. Now the building is getting solid!

Incidentally, the panels arrive in colour-clean packages, are then sorted in reverse order and then screwed to the uprights of the shelf from bottom to top.

Concrete for the 4.

Driveway design

The "grounds" are also taking shape. The fire brigade bypass is plastered with grass pavers and the deep courtyard is concreted. This is followed by the levelling of the paved area at the new access road to the goods entrance. We decide not to use airport parkboard stones for the edging of the area and instead opt for one kerb stone between every two kerbs to divert the water away from the bottle.

Due to the now even smaller space on the construction site, intensive coordination between the trades is the order of the day.

Hui on the outside, wet on the inside

Time pressure

By the middle of the month, the façade and the pre-zone area (right-hand side of the HRL to the existing building) should be closed and watertight so that the conveyor technology can then be installed there. Unfortunately, the delivery of the panels for this area is delayed and so the roof cannot yet be made watertight...

On the other side, the paving work is progressing very well. However, this work will have to be suspended for the time being for the installation of the storage and retrieval machines in August, as the 180 tonne crane cannot stand on the plaster for installation on the gable end.

Teamwork at the weekend

Clean water from the plate

The water has to "disappear" from the base plate of the HRL before the conveyor system can be installed. As the slab is very flat, as requested, we have no choice but to dry the surface with our mopping machine and, above all, manually with water sliders. We meet on a sunny Saturday on the construction site and the result after 4 hours is impressive!

Unfortunately, the next heavy downpour hits us on Monday and cancels the work again... The proof of the pudding is in the eating. It's dry, but the electricians and heating engineers are working there. Once again, this means coordinating the trades.

RBG wherever I go

August 2025

August is all about the installation of the storage and retrieval machines (SRMs), which begins on 18 August 2025. For space reasons, these will not be brought in via the roof, for which we would need a very large crane, but via the gable end using two smaller cranes. For this to work, the profiles protruding from the gable end of the rack need to be sawn off. The bottom rail for the RBG trolleys is also installed. The upper guide rail has already been installed when the shelving was assembled. Both rails do not run exactly in the centre of the aisle between the shelves, but are slightly offset to the right.

Give me your juice

Electricity

Our new transformer finally arrives in mid-August. A crucial point in finally getting electricity to the new buildings and the conveyor technology. However, due to various safety regulations and ordinances, the connection of the transformer to the grid is still dragging on, so we are all "trembling" as to whether it will still work before commissioning...

Meanwhile, the conveyor technology is being set up diligently in the new incoming goods area and we realise that it's going to be a tight squeeze: It's getting tight! There isn't much space left to set up goods. However, this is intentional, as the incoming pallets need to be quickly collected and placed on the conveyor system.

On On

RGB insertion

Before the SRMs can be installed, they must first be delivered and assembled. For this purpose, 4 mast sections, the 3 trolleys, the cabins, transport tools, control cabinets and all the necessary "small parts" are delivered for each device. The assembly runs smoothly and the first stacker crane can be installed on Wednesday, 20 August 2025.

Double the power

Strong arms

Two cranes are on site to load (and unload) the RGB. A "small" crane to support the base of the RGB and a "large" crane to thread the unit into the rack aisle. Before the mast is picked up, the carriage is first placed on the rail. The mast will be bolted to this later. Then things get exciting. Both cranes lift the first RGB and the 35 metre long, 14 tonne mast starts to move. The cranes slowly erect the mast until it is finally vertical. Only then is the control cabinet mounted on the platform on the RGB at a height of around 3 metres. The crane then lifts the mast and swivels it carefully in front of the aisle. Now the mast just needs to be lowered onto the carriage and bolted to it...

Sits, wobbles and has air

Neatly threaded

Once the mast has been bolted to the carriage, the device must be threaded into the upper guide rail. This involves climbing. A fitter climbs onto the upper platform and instructs his colleagues on the ground by radio to push the device into place. A distance of around 2 metres still has to be covered while the mast is suspended from the crane. The man at the top keeps the mast on course.

After just over 30 minutes, the first appliance is in the aisle. We are all happy and delighted with this great, successful job! Now to do the whole thing twice more without incident and everything is fine...

We still have to do it

September 2025

The introduction of the RGB went really well. Now it's time to give it everything we've got in the last few metres to the finish. The roof has to be put on, the façade has to be closed, the sprinkler has to go into the high rack, the heating and electrical systems have to be finished and, and, and....

We start installing the sprinklers in the rack. We realise that we are missing three holes in the sprinkler control centre to manage the supply and discharge of the extinguishing water... Were not in the plan. In addition, the supply line from the existing building in the new incoming goods area has to be rerouted. All feasible and solved - but it's holding up.

Step by step

Stair tower

Assembly of the stair tower also begins. Piece by piece, it spirals upwards. However, the ground anchors are missing at first and the cherry picker gives up the ghost during assembly... The crane required for the work obstructs the access road for longer than expected and hinders the other trades, which have to access the shelf via the gable end... All in all, another 2 days on which nothing really makes progress. It's a real pain in the arse - even if the tower is finished.

It gets rolling

October 2025

October is all about commissioning the conveyor technology and the storage and retrieval machines (SRMs). We start with the conveyor technology, partly because the roof on the warehouse is still not finished and we don't want the SRMs to "sink".

Contrary to what you might think, commissioning does not mean that you press a button and then the system runs... First, each component (roller conveyor, chain conveyor, lift tables, pallet stackers, etc.) is tested individually. Then each sensor, each light barrier and each light scanner is adjusted.

I like to move it

Commissioning

Only when everything is set up are the various sections on the conveyor system set in motion individually. For this purpose, empty pallets are placed on the incoming goods infeed. These then pass through the coaster, the contour check, continue via the stocktaking and labelling station and are then moved forward via the loop in front of the SRMs to end up at the goods issue infeed.

This also reveals one or two errors in the setting of the sensors, the chain tension of the conveyors or the design of the lifters...

Oops

Cold moulded

In addition to the pallets on the conveyor system, it is important that the pallets are also on the system on the software side. If this is not the case, it can happen that a space is regarded as empty but there is actually a pallet on it. This then leads to cold deformation of components, as with our pallet stacker....

The lift table simply pushed it upwards with an unregistered pallet. The "push-through protection" in the form of dents on the top does not really belong there. This is exactly what commissioning is for. Recognising and eliminating errors so that something like this cannot happen in real operation.

The Locomotion

The RGB drive

While the pallets travel in circles on the conveyor system, the SRMs set off in the HBW. One by one, the three machines are sent onto the rails and soon the system is roaring. The 25 tonne devices first have to run in the rail... In addition, unit 3 is initially a bit of a bitch, as the drive for the load handling attachment (LAM) is on strike.

Before pallets can be picked up with the SRMs, all sensors and parameters must be set and checked. In addition, each shelf compartment is approached once in order to save the corresponding coordinates. This ensures speed during operation later on, as fine positioning does not have to be repeated each time.

Halloween

November 2025

November catches us cold and spooky. During the commissioning of the RBG, more and more points become apparent that have not been professionally executed in the shelving and that we could not see from below. Starting with missing holes for the fine positioning of the shelves, through to deformed beams and loose screws, everything is there.

After a friendly enquiry to the project manager, we are initially offered the opportunity to get things in order from the beginning of December. Only after pointing out that this would disrupt the schedule of everyone involved and have financial consequences were we promised an assembly team for week 44. We have a pulse!

Shakin'

Goods on the shelf

Despite the desolate condition of the racking, the SRMs can still be put into operation and the first pallets can be transferred from the conveyor system to the SRM. The first tests with goods pallets soon follow.

In mid-November, two performance tests are carried out for the SRMs and the pallet transfer unit on the loop is also put through its paces. All devices pass the 2nd FEM test and the transfer unit manages the required 160 pallets per hour. A ray of hope.

Advent, Advent

December 2025

As we had to postpone the commissioning of our warehouse planned for the beginning of December due to the rework (screw inspection, replacement of defective components, etc.) on the shelving, December was very quiet.

We use this time to familiarise ourselves once again with the new processes in incoming goods. We also train the people who will be working with and possibly in the system in height rescue (working at heights with a risk of falling, use of PPE designed for high-bay warehouses in theory and practice).

Oh you merry

Still and rigid

Shortly before Christmas, the work on the racking is also completed so that we can finally go into operation in mid-January. Until then, the system is switched off and our new building is at a standstill. It feels a bit like saying goodbye when the power for the conveyor technology and the RBG is switched off, even though we know that it will start in January...

Rising High

January 2026

On 12.01.2026 the time has come. We go into operation with our new warehouse. First, however, the load and performance test of the entire system takes place. 70 pallets per hour in and 70 pallets per hour out to determine whether all the processes mesh and the software also works.

And everything runs like clockwork. Only the last pallet that we want to put on after exactly one hour (after we have already completed 80 pallets) topples over. But just as the project went, so did the finish. Everyone lends a hand and in no time at all the pallet is stacked and runs over the conveyor system into the rack.

Trade is change

Back to the Future

With the launch of our HRL, we are now entering an intensive learning phase. New processes need to be familiarised and the system needs to be operated, maintained and fault cleared. We at Ehlert would like to thank all the companies involved and the entire Ehlert team for their fantastic work during the construction phase, commissioning and on the first steps with the new technology!

Further information and videos about the construction site and commissioning as well as about our company can also be found at: