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Completed steel warehouse with profiled cladding and a roller shutter door

Steel warehouse buildings

Steel warehouse buildings in Morocco: what to know before pricing

Spans, heights, envelope, lead times and cost drivers. Everything that determines what your building really costs, explained without jargon.

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A steel warehouse is a long span building whose steel frame carries a lightweight envelope. It is the most widespread solution for storage, logistics and industrial activity — because it covers large areas quickly and stays modifiable.

This page explains what a warehouse actually consists of, and above all what makes its price move. The aim is that you arrive at tender with the right questions.

Types of building

  • Storage warehouse — the most common: simple frame, uninsulated envelope, generous clear height
  • Logistics warehouse — loading docks, significant height, heavy duty slab
  • Agricultural shed — crop or machinery storage, often open on one or more sides
  • Industrial building — fixed process positions, services, sometimes an overhead crane
  • Canopy or shelter — roof only, no perimeter cladding

What a warehouse is made of

Components of a steel warehouse
ElementFunctionUsual product
Portal framePrimary load bearing structureIPE, HEA, HEB
Lattice trussAlternative on long spansAngles, hollow sections
PurlinsRoof sheeting supportCold formed sections, IPE
Side railsCladding supportCold formed sections
BracingWind and seismic stabilityAngles, tie rods, stability bays
RoofingWeatherproofingProfiled sheet TN50/TN75 or composite panel
CladdingVertical envelopeProfiled sheet TN40 or composite panel
FoundationsLoad transfer to the groundPads, ground beams, holding down bolts

Dimensions: orders of magnitude

Spans and structural solutions
SpanSolutionNote
Up to 15 mLight plate girder portalMost economical per m²
15 to 25 mHaunched portal frameThe most common case
25 to 35 mHeavy portal or lattice trussTruss becomes competitive
Over 35 mLattice trussConsider an intermediate column if the use allows

Frame spacing is commonly 5 to 7 m. Closer frames make each frame lighter but multiply the number of them: the optimum is calculated, not guessed.

What actually moves the price

We do not publish a price per square metre, because such a figure is invariably wrong. These are the seven factors that determine the real cost, in decreasing order of impact.

  1. Span — the first lever. Tonnage rises faster than span.
  2. Clear height — drives the columns, the bracing and the wind area.
  3. Seismic zone (RPS 2011) — governs bracing and connections.
  4. Level of insulation — single skin sheet or composite panel: a large gap on the envelope.
  5. Protective treatment — paint or hot dip galvanising, depending on corrosion exposure.
  6. Ground conditions — poor bearing capacity inflates the foundation package regardless of the frame.
  7. Equipment — overhead crane, docks, sectional doors, rooflights.

A serious quotation for a warehouse needs: a floor area, a span, a clear height, a location and an intended use. Without those five, any price is guesswork.

Corrosion: the Moroccan factor

The Atlantic coast puts most port sites in class C5-M under ISO 12944 — severe marine corrosivity. In those areas, hot dip galvanising to EN ISO 1461 is not a luxury but a condition of durability. Inland, in C2 or C3, a properly specified paint system is sufficient. The detail is developed on our structural steelwork page.

Project stages

  1. Brief — area, use, operating constraints
  2. Geotechnical survey — essential before pricing foundations
  3. Load take-off and design calculations — Eurocodes 1 and 3, RPS 2011
  4. General arrangement and shop drawings
  5. Fabrication — cutting, drilling, assembly, welding
  6. Protective treatment
  7. Foundations and civil works
  8. Lifting, erection, envelope
  9. Handover and as-built documentation

Applicable standards

  • RPS 2011 — mandatory across Morocco
  • Eurocode 1 (EN 1991) — loads, wind, snow
  • Eurocode 3 (EN 1993) — steel design
  • EN 1090-2 — execution
  • EN ISO 1461 / ISO 12944 — corrosion protection

Framework applicable to the trade. Certifications provided on request.

Frequently asked questions

Steel warehouses: the questions that come up

How much does a steel warehouse cost per square metre in Morocco?
There is no reliable price per square metre, and be wary of anyone quoting one. Two buildings of identical area can differ by a factor of two depending on span, clear height, seismic zone, ground conditions and insulation. The price is built up from steel tonnage and the treatment chosen, not from floor area.
What span can I get with no intermediate column?
A plate girder portal frame commonly covers 15 to 30 m. Beyond that a lattice truss takes over, up to 40 m and more. Every additional metre of span raises the tonnage more than proportionally: it is the first lever on the budget.
What clear height should I allow?
For ordinary racked storage, 6 to 9 m under the truss is typical. For reach truck handling or an overhead travelling crane you need more height, and the crane runway has to be designed in from the start — adding it afterwards costs far more.
Do I need insulation?
It depends on the use. Dry storage of non sensitive goods does not justify it. As soon as there are people working all day, temperature sensitive goods or food processing, composite panel becomes necessary. The cost difference on the envelope is significant.
What is the lead time?
It breaks down into engineering and drawings, steel procurement, workshop fabrication, protective treatment and erection. Hot dip galvanising adds a subcontracted stage that has to sit in the programme. We commit to a firm date at quotation, once drawings are approved.
Does RPS 2011 change the cost much?
Yes, and it is often underestimated. The seismic zone drives the bracing and the connection design. The same building in two different zones does not carry the same tonnage. It is not optional: the regulation applies across the whole of Morocco.
Can a steel building be extended later?
Yes, and that is one of steel's real advantages over concrete. An extension in length connects onto the last frame. Provided it was anticipated at design stage: the end gable has to be designed as temporary, not as permanent.
What foundations does a steel building need?
Pad foundations under each column, tied by ground beams, with cast-in holding down bolts and adjustable base plates. Sizing depends entirely on ground bearing capacity: a geotechnical survey is essential before pricing the foundation package seriously.

What we do

Everything that makes up your building

Structural steelwork

Portal frames, trusses and purlins for industrial buildings, warehouses and mezzanines. Design, workshop, erection.

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Metal construction

Structures, cladding, roofing, floors, staircases and walkways. Turnkey steelwork.

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Cut and bent rebar

Cut and bent in our workshop to your drawings: links, stirrups, spacers and reinforcement cages.

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Steel profiles and hollow sections

IPE, HEA, HEB, UPN, angles, tubes and plates. Cut to length, delivered fast.

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Pylons and fittings

Telecom and power lattice pylons, supports and fittings, hot-dip galvanised.

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Piping and civil works

General piping, supports and industrial networks, with the associated civil engineering works.

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Tell us about your project

Send us your drawings or simply describe what you need. We will come back to you with a costed quotation and a firm lead time.

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