Retail buildings are of five basic types; down-town shopping centres, single storey supermarkets, warehouse-type distribution centres , mixed use retail and commercial/residential buildings in which the retail units generally occupy the ground floor and superstores. The retail sector is very competitive and therefore the attributes of steel construction to deliver flexible, lightweight solutions fast and cost effectively makes steel the material of choice for the sector.
The different building types of the retail sector may be defined as:
- Single storey Supermarkets
- Superstores
- Warehouse-type distribution centres
- Shopping centres, which may be multi-storey.
- mixed use retail and commercial/residential buildings in which the retail units generally occupy the ground floor
The attributes of steel construction for all types of retail buildings include:
- Speed of construction that is increased by pre-fabrication
- Economy in terms of structure cost
- Lightweight construction
- Long spans for flexible use of the space
- Reliable and robust structural performance
- Sustainability
- Economy as a construction system.
