Cold Storage: Water Vapor is Not Our Friend

Cold Storage Facilities are unique buildings that require specialized design and construction practices. Because the building structure also serves as an insulated vessel, proper detailing of thermal barriers, insulation and slabs is of paramount importance.

For more than 25 years, Providence Engineering has been providing design services for Cold Storage Facilities. In that time we’ve learned a lot, including the simple, but important fact that water vapor is not our friend. In its various states, water vapor plagues Cold Storage Facilities and is greatly detrimental to their energy-efficient refrigeration.

In our Cold Storage Seminar, we explore this idea in detail and explain the physics behind the Refrigeration Cycle and the Insulated Envelope. We focus on the effects of water vapor and explain why condensation and frost can be hazardous to personnel, equipment and product within a Cold Storage Facility. We also show ways to avoid these common problems and ensure that structural and thermal building details are in concert.