Sustainable Design for a Large-Scale Distribution Facility

As part of its commitment to reduce logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050, DHL’s 550,000-square-foot Manton Wood development features several energy-saving innovations. Focused on sustainability, HDR provided civil, structural and geo-environmental design services for the distribution building and associated offices, and appropriate fit-out services. 

Innovative features include:

• Drainage system design to accommodate Control of Major Accident Hazards products within the retail and consumer business while providing existing and new customers with the space to plan for future business growth.
• Automated 98-foot-high bay and a 59-foot low bay to maximize pallet and throughput capacity by employing the latest efficient handling systems, ambient storage and automated retrieval systems.

We completed the schematic design of the high bay superstructure using tall stanchions with portals, interconnected with lattice diaphragm roof construction to minimize potential movement in severe storms. Ground improvement using dynamic compaction was also introduced to minimize settlement limits.

• Strategically located with easy access to the A57 and A1 roadways, the 63-acre site benefits from outline planning permission for 1 million square feet of logistics development, providing the potential to almost double the size of the operation in the future with a second building, if required.
• Sustainable features — including daylight harvesting, intelligent LED lighting, solar thermal hot water, greywater harvesting for welfare facilities and landscaping irrigation — exceeded regulations for a building of its type at the time of completion.

The remaining site area was plateaued to allow for a future 500,000-square-foot development.