A welcome addition to PruittHealth’s existing corporate campus, this medical storage facility houses the company’s medical supplies in a temperature-controlled building. The sizable structure is built adjacent to the campus’ two-story office building and features an advanced rack system to optimally store a range of supplies and equipment for its home health care, end-of-life care, rehabilitation, veteran care, and other critical services.

Smart Storage: Construction Designed with Automation in Mind

To optimize the facility’s operations, a wire-guide system is built into the concrete slab foundation, providing a designated path for forklifts between the supply aisles. Once the slab is placed, the project team cuts a thin line in the concrete along the chosen path, lays the wire, and fills the joint with silicone to fortify the slab.

As the wiring system is placed only between the aisles, forklift operators are in the driver’s seat when transporting goods to and from the trucking bay and other areas of the facility. However, when forklifts pick up the signal upon entering the aisle, the forklift’s movements become automated. By offering a controlled path, the potential for human error is reduced, which allows storage racks to be built closer together, in turn providing more space to store the medical supplies.

In addition to increased safety and efficiency, the medical storage facility also requires optimal environmental conditions to safely store critical medications and supplies. To do so, the project team used DuctSox, an industrial fabric air dispersion product, throughout the building to evenly deliver controlled, conditioned air as an alternative to traditional metal ducts. In large spaces, metal ducts are not only visually less appealing, but they allow drafts to occur near the diffusers, resulting in inconsistent temperatures and higher energy costs.

Ahead of Schedule

Despite rain delays and permitting challenges due to changes in the project scope, the team finished the project ahead of schedule. Timing was of the essence, too, as the client was leasing a far-less spacious facility across the street and needed to vacate as soon as possible.