DOCKZILLA TRIAGES IRREGULAR LOT WITH TEMP SHIPPING & RECEIVING WAREHOUSE

As the largest trauma center in the area, the University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital needed to maintain full operations, including its 24/7 shipping & receiving for the campus, during a multi-year, $400MM construction project. Dockzilla delivered with a fully loaded 3,840 sq ft temporary shipping & receiving warehouse with three loading docks on an asphalt lot with an irregular grade.

Results at a Glance:

30% cost savings and 6 months faster than traditional construction
Fast installation—fully operational just 4 weeks
Pre-engineered by Dockzilla to erect on asphalt lot with grading issues
Designed with wind & snow-rated coverings, insulation and HVAC to withstand NE winters
Customer will repurpose and reuse loading equipment from temp structure in new permanent structure

GET IN TOUCH

The Challenge

BEFORE: Highly irregular and uneven asphalt lot.

AFTER: Insulated 3,840 sq ft shipping and receiving center with three dock positions.

Maintain 24/7 Shipping & Receiving During 3-5 Year Construction Project

Permanent construction was a non-starter due to time and cost. The hospital also needed to be able to quickly dismantle the temporary docks in under a week when the new docks were ready as the temporary solution would be located within the turn radius for the new permanent docks.

Project Must-Haves:

Accommodate three docks to service vehicles of varying heights with pallet jacks
Seamlessly connect to the current hospital building
Effortlessly brave snowy, windy Rochester, NY winters
Incorporate the safety & comfort features of a permanent structure

The Solution

Design Engineering & Project Management

Dockzilla’s modular approach allows us to custom design each project based on our customer’s use case. In this situation, the hospital was loading/unloading varying sized trucks via pallet jacks and needed to be operational 24/7. Given the harsh winters, the building also needed to be insulated and connected to the grade-level building via a ramp.

24/7 Pallet Jack Loading

The hospital needed to connect its permanent grade level building to the temporary, dock height building in order to use pallet jackets to ship/receive at the docks.

Varying Vehicle Heights

The three Dockzilla temporary loading docks – taking the place of the permanent loading docks under construction – needed to be able to service varying vehicle heights.

Temporary Deployment

The temporary loading docks would be used 24/7 for 3-5 years during the hospital’s construction project, and needed to have all the employee safety & comforts of a permanent building.

Dockzilla Solution

Exterior: Tackling Grade Variances

The building was custom-designed to conform to an irregular asphalt negating need for complex site prep or concrete pads. Dockzilla’s project management team led the four-week installation of the custom temporary building including three dock positions, doors, stairs, walk ramp, electrical, fire suppression system and HVAC to ensure a streamlined experience.

Conforms to Asphalt & Quickly Demobilized

Dockzilla used 24 steel platform sections, with 96 adjustable base plates to erect the building on a sloped lot. Each section was prefabricated for fast on-site assembly, which will allow the hospital to quickly dismantle the building once the permanent building is ready.

Stands Up to Weather

The building’s high-strength vinyl enclosure was designed to withstand 109 MPH wind and 40lbs PSF snow/ice and comes with a 30-year warranty. The aluminum frame was engineered based on the site, code and term of use.

All Dock Equipment Included

Three dock doors include Dockzilla modular Dock Houses installed on the outside of the building to minimize energy loss. The integrated 15′ levelers can accommodate varying vehicle heights.

“I was aware there were mobile dock solutions but nothing to this level with this comprehensive delivery–this was a big eye opener.”

– Kirk Simpson, Sr Project Manager, University of Rochester Hospital

Interior: Employee Comfort, Safety & Ease of Use

The temporary building was designed to not only hold up structurally Rochester lake effect winters, but also to keep everyone inside comfortable. Dockzilla also designed a seamless connection from the dock height temporary building to the grade level permanent building.

Custom-Designed for Use

A walk ramp with 5% slope was flashed to the permanent building, making a smooth transition for pallet jacks to make their way to the temporary docks.

Fully Insulated + HVAC System

The one-stop solution included a fully insulated building with integral HVAC and fire suppression systems.

Easy Operation

Simple push button operation of Dockzilla’s 15′ Dock House leveler allowed employees to quickly transition to loading in the new space.

The Results

30% Cost Savings, 6 Months Faster

When compared to permanent construction options, the Dockzilla solution offered a 30% cost savings and could be completed 6 months faster without impeding the drainage in the parking lot or the excessive down time involved with stick-built construction.

Four Week Install, Demobilize in 7 Days

The modular building can be demobilized and relocated in a week at the end of the project, which was a critical factor as the temporary docks block the turn radius for the new permanent docks. According to Kirk Simpson, University of Rochester Hospital Sr Project Manager, “At the end of the day we have an asset left that we can either try to resell or repurpose someplace else as opposed to just tearing it down. I can use the dock leveler, I can use the ramp, I can use all of this in another location.”

Shipping & Receiving Open During Construction

The ingenuity of the Dockzilla solution, which conforms to the ground and connects to the building, allowed the hospital to seamlessly relocate its entire shipping and receiving and remain fully operational during construction.

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