Kmart Distribution Centre

The building

Kmart Distribution Centre is located at Eastern Creek Industrial Park. The building is classified as a large isolated building with an overall floor area in the order 50,000m². The building was purpose built for Kmart being the main distribution centre for 43 retail outlets through NSW. Merchandise (over 8 million general merchandising cartons) are trucked on pallets from local Australian and Overseas suppliers via shipping containers. The goods are stored in high racks and/or sorted through a large mechanical sortation system into specific pallets for the individual retail outlets. Following the sorting process, the goods are stored in bulk floor stacking arrangements ready for distribution by logistical truck to the appropriate stores throughout NSW.

The approach

A holistic fire engineering approach was undertaken with consideration of the large size and scale of the building. The design approach utilised the large height and volume of the building to act as a large smoke/heat reservoir to assist with occupant egress and fire brigade intervention. The project was successfully completed and commenced operation in 2011