Anti-Heave Underfloor Heating

Thermo-Floor are a specialist underfloor heating and cooling company and are actively involved in the design, supply and installation of anti-heave or frost protection systems for freezer warehouses. We have available specially designed manifolds for use on freezer warehouses and cold storage facilities.

Cold Store Anti-Heave Or Frost Prevention Systems

When cold stores are built at ground level, the low temperatures in the store will gradually transfer down through the floor into the ground below. If this is allowed to happen any moisture which is present in the earth, will start to freeze. As this moisture starts to freeze it will expand and will push up on the floor above, causing the floor to heave and eventually crack. This will result in uneven floors or could even result in severe damage to the facility. To prevent the ground under the cold store from freezing, a heating system is installed either under or within the cold store floor. To make this system very efficient, the waste heat from the refrigeration unit can be used to heat the water in the anti-heave system. This can result in lower energy costs unlike expensive electrical systems.

Only 10-12 W/m² of heat is required to ensure that the ground beneath the floor does not freeze. The heating tube pipe spacing, flow rate and loop lengths are calculated to ensure that ground freeze does not occur. Glycol antifreeze is added to the system to protect against freezing down to -33° C.

In deciding the design and dimensions of the primary pipework, the viscosity and concentration the glycol mixture has to be taken into account. The anti-heave pipework is fixed with 2 or 3 circuits together to ensure that there is a constant flow through the entire floor structure. The direction of the flow is in opposite directions.

Thermo-Floor can provide both blending or low temperature distribution manifolds. This depends on the temperature of the water supplied to the manifold. If the water temperature is higher that 30°C a blending manifold will be required to reduce the temarature of the water at the manifold. If the water temperature is lower tha 30°C, a low temperature distribution manifold can be used.