From CAD Drawings to Code Compliance: Navigating Storage Projects Succinctly
Designing or upgrading a warehouse storage system isn’t just about choosing the right racking. It’s a detailed process that moves through planning, engineering, safety analysis, and compliance checks long before any steel is installed on-site. For New Zealand businesses, where seismic considerations, building codes, and operational safety standards all play crucial roles, taking a structured approach is essential.
At Dexion Auckland, we support clients through every step — from initial CAD layouts to engineering certification and final installation — ensuring each storage solution is safe, efficient, and tailored to the operation. Here’s what that journey looks like.
1. Scoping the Project: Understanding Your Warehouse Needs
Every successful storage project begins with a thorough understanding of how your warehouse operates. This involves:
Reviewing SKU profiles, product dimensions, and pallet types
Identifying SKU velocity to determine aisle widths and bay configurations
Confirming material handling equipment (MHE) — forklifts, reach trucks, pallet jacks, turret trucks
Measuring building clear heights, column spacing, floor quality, and door heights
Identifying obstructions such as sprinklers, ducting, seismic bracing, ventilation, or lighting
Understanding operational goals: bulk storage, high selectivity, rapid picking, or density optimisation
This discovery phase shapes the entire design. A warehouse with fast-moving SKUs and narrow aisles will require a very different solution from a cold store prioritising density, for example.
2. CAD Drawings: Turning Concepts Into Structured Plans
Once goals and constraints are clear, the next step is creating a precise CAD layout. Dexion Auckland uses detailed 2D and 3D design tools to translate operational needs into a workable plan.
What CAD drawings include:
Full warehouse footprint with accurate dimensions
Racking layout (Selective, Double Deep, Drive-In, etc.)
Aisle widths based on forklift requirements
Loading and unloading zones
Staging areas, conveyor lines, or shuttle integrations (if applicable)
Fire safety clearances
Structural references (columns, doorways, sprinkler lines)
CAD plans ensure every component fits correctly and allows the client to visualise the final layout before anything is ordered or installed.
3. Engineering Review: Ensuring Structural Safety
After CAD approval, the design undergoes engineering analysis. This step confirms that the system will perform safely under real-world warehouse conditions.
Engineering considerations include:
Load capacity calculations for beams, frames, and bays
Confirming allowable bay heights and beam spacings
Structural analysis for upright frames, bracing, baseplates, and fixings
Seismic analysis (critical in New Zealand)
Evaluating floor slab properties and anchor requirements
Confirming compatibility with NZ building conditions
The engineering review ensures the system can safely handle pallet loads, forklift impact forces, and building-specific stresses.
4. Code Compliance in New Zealand: Meeting Local Requirements
New Zealand’s regulatory landscape prioritises safety and structural integrity. Storage systems must align with building codes and good practice guidelines.
Key compliance aspects include:
Structural safety requirements under the NZ Building Code
Seismic considerations based on building importance level and region
Fire system clearance (sprinkler deflection plates, aisle spacing)
Egress and emergency pathway requirements
Load signage and operational safety rules
Requirements for anchoring and fixing to the slab
Building consent pathway (varies by project scale and structure)
Dexion Auckland guides clients through these requirements, ensuring the racking system is fully aligned with New Zealand’s safety expectations.
5. Procurement, Installation, and Quality Assurance
Once design, engineering, and compliance steps are complete, the project moves into implementation.
This stage involves:
Manufacturing or sourcing the required racking components
Scheduling and managing delivery to site
Professional installation by trained technicians
Ensuring anchor depth, beam seating, levelling, and bracing follow engineered drawings exactly
Final quality checks and documentation
Handing over load signs, certification, and maintenance guidelines
Correct installation is just as important as correct design. Even the best-engineered system must be installed precisely to perform safely.
6. Ongoing Safety: Inspections and Maintenance
A compliant storage system needs continuous care. Over time, forklifts can impact uprights, anchors may loosen, or pallets may exceed weight limits.
Dexion Auckland provides maintenance schedules and ongoing racking inspections to help businesses detect issues early and maintain safe operation.
Why This Process Matters
A storage system is much more than steel uprights and beams. By following a structured, engineering-driven process, businesses benefit from:
Safer operations and reduced risk of collapse
Systems tailored to their specific workflow
Better use of warehouse space and vertical height
Reduced long-term maintenance and compliance costs
Future-proof designs adaptable to business growth
Peace of mind knowing the installation meets NZ expectations
Final Thoughts
From CAD drawings to code compliance, each step in the storage system journey is designed to protect your staff, your inventory, and the long-term integrity of your warehouse. By partnering with Dexion Auckland, you gain a team that understands both the operational and regulatory demands of New Zealand warehouses — ensuring your project is delivered safely, efficiently, and without surprises.