Summary
- When a large Florida parcel sortation center required dozens of elevated platforms to house sensitive conveyor and sortation technology, Steele Solutions and Elevated Steel supplied and installed more than 185,000 sq. ft. of platform structure—meeting a demanding deadline despite a phased build and shifting construction conditions.
Challenge: A large e-commerce parcel sortation center required 28 separate elevated platforms supporting conveyor and sortation systems, sensitive electronic equipment, and maintenance personnel – all under a compressed schedule.
Solution: Steele Solutions specified ResinDek LD flooring with Gray Diamond Seal ESD coating across all decked platforms, providing a solid, electronically dissipative surface that protected conveyor controls, sensors, and scales from electrostatic charge.
A large-scale e-commerce parcel sortation facility in Florida required multiple elevated platforms capable of supporting dense automation, heavy mechanical loads, and maintenance personnel—all within a highly compressed and shifting construction schedule.
Steele Solutions, a leading manufacturer of structural steel work and equipment platforms, supplied more than 185,000 square feet of platform and grid structure across the middle-mile parcel sortation facility. Elevated Steel handled installation, providing labor, equipment, and on-site coordination.
At the center of the facility’s elevated infrastructure —spread over 28 separate platforms rather than a single continuous platform—was ResinDek® LD flooring with Gray Diamond Seal® ESD coating. Steele Solutions selected ResinDek engineered floor panels from Cornerstone Specialty Wood Products to provide a durable, electrically dissipative walking surface. The flooring covers thousands of square feet of platforms supporting conveyors, sortation systems, and equipment maintenance teams.
Steele Solutions’ Global Key Account Manager Ken Shaw explained that the ResinDek flooring played a foundational role in the elevated platforms’ design due to the amount of sensitive equipment operating above it.
“All of the decked platforms have ResinDek® LD with the Gray Diamond Seal® ESD coating,” Shaw said. “There’s a lot of electronic equipment with the conveyor systems, controls, photo eyes, sensors, and scales. All those sensitive technologies on top of the platforms could be adversely affected by an electrostatic charge; the flooring prevents that from happening.”
Additionally, the ResinDek LD ESD surface was chosen for durability and consistency across a massive installation footprint where performance could not vary throughout the phased installation.
A Highly Complex Platform Network Built Around Automation
Because the facility serves as a centralized, middle-mile parcel sortation center—not a traditional warehouse platform environment—there is not a single, continuous, elevated deck structure. Instead, the layout called for multiple platforms at varying elevations designed specifically around conveyor pathways and sortation equipment.
“There are different platforms at different elevations for different systems within the facility,” said Jarod Rouch, National Sales Manager for Elevated Steel. “The platforms support the conveyors and provide maintenance access. They also maximize use of the vertical space within the building.”
In total, the project included approximately 165,000 square feet of elevated platform structure and more than 21,000 square feet of grid structure supporting conveyor systems throughout the facility.
Rouch noted that the layout necessitated a highly coordinated build environment where multiple trades had to work in sequence rather than in parallel.
“We worked cooperatively with the general contractor,” he said. “They turned over areas to us after completing their installation work. Then the conveyor teams followed us as we completed and handed off different phases.”
Compressed Timeline and Shifting Construction Conditions
The platform installation work was originally scheduled to begin in November 2025 with a March 2026 completion window. However, general construction activities pushed the start date into January 2026, noted Rouch.
That said, the delay ultimately did not prevent Steele Solutions’ or Elevated Steel’s teams from meeting the overall delivery expectations.
“We identified some areas where we were going to have competing space with the general contractor,” Rouch said. “Our start date got pushed back into January, but we were still able to maintain completion at the end of March. For such a large-scale project to lose over a month of work time and still meet the customer’s deadline, that was a big win.”
He added that the sequencing of work by the foreman and his crews was one of the most critical factors in keeping the project on track, particularly given the number of overlapping systems being installed inside the facility.
ResinDek Delivered Early, Stored On Site, and Installed in Phases
Because of the compressed timeline and phased construction approach, ResinDek panels were delivered to the site ahead of installation and staged inside the facility until each platform section was ready. Rouch explained that this approach helped to maintain installation momentum once work began.
“The ResinDek panels were delivered to site ahead of our start date, then stored inside and protected,” he said. “We had a small crew there to receive materials from Steele Solutions and stage it, so it was ready to go when we got underway.”
As installation ramped up, Elevated Steel’s crew size eventually reached approximately 40 workers on site. This enabled work to occur simultaneously across multiple areas of the building.
Rouch also pointed to the installation tooling as a key efficiency factor.
“The stand-up screw guns from ResinDek help us install the product quickly and efficiently,” he said. “It’s very ergonomic. It keeps our guys from having to bend over and drive thousands of screws by hand. It’s a very much appreciated tool for our crew.”
Engineering Collaboration and Design optimization
Another major contributor to the project’s success was early coordination between Steele Solutions and the customer’s engineering teams. This was particularly essential as platform requirements evolved throughout the build.
Shaw emphasized the importance of being involved earlier in the design process to optimize system performance.
“As the platform provider, we appreciate being brought in earlier in the process to help with the design decisions,” Shaw said. “That enables us to create the most efficient design for the application and for the systems that go on top of the platforms.”
He noted that load requirements and platform design are often oversimplified early in projects, which can lead to inefficiencies if not properly evaluated.
“Customers will specify 125 pounds per square foot if they don’t know what they’re putting on it,” he said. “But that’s not always what’s needed. We look at column spacing, slab loading, and how automated equipment is moving across the facility to make sure the specs are dialed in as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
Built for durability, safety, and long-term performance
Across the facility, ResinDek flooring was selected not just for performance under load, but also for long-term durability in a high-traffic, high-maintenance automation environment. Shaw pointed to the practical benefits of the system in real-world use.
“The durability of the flooring is an important factor in elevated platform design,” he said. “The ResinDek provides a solid surface, so small parts, nuts, bolts, things like that can’t fall through and interfere with systems below. It’s just been a really great partnership.”
He also emphasized the consistency of the engineered floor panels across large-scale phased shipments.
“Whether it’s the first panel delivered or the last panel delivered, the quality is the same,” Shaw said. “Same color, same thickness, same performance. That’s critical in creating a consistent structure.”
A partnership-driven approach to complex automation builds
Both Shaw and Rouch described the project as highly collaborative, requiring constant coordination between platform fabrication, field installation, and downstream automation integration.
“Everybody worked closely together to manage the schedule and the different phases,” recalled Rouch. “We were flexible, working in different parts of the building at different times, with multiple crews operating simultaneously.”
Despite shifting timelines, phased construction challenges, and a highly complex multi-platform design, the team delivered a fully integrated elevated system designed to support high-speed sortation and long-term operational reliability.
At the core of that system, ResinDek LD flooring with Gray Diamond Seal® ESD coating provided the durable, electrically stable surface required to keep automation systems running safely and efficiently at scale.
About Cornerstone Specialty Wood Products, LLC
For more than 20 years, Cornerstone Specialty Wood Products, LLC (www.resindek.com) has been in the forefront of research and development in the field of engineered wood floor panels for the material handling industry. Solutions include durable flooring that withstands the rigorous demands of heavy rolling pallet jacks, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), as well as flexible shelving systems.
About steele solutions
Steele Solutions, Inc., is a North American leader in engineered solutions for the material handling industry—including automation controls, electrical design, steel platforms, and chutes. The company partners with industry-leading integrators who lead warehouse automation projects for large e-commerce retailers and parcel providers. Steele Solutions is headquartered in South Milwaukee, WI, and operates manufacturing facilities in South Milwaukee, WI; Waupaca, WI; and Tiffin, OH.
About elevated steel
A leading provider of turnkey structural steel services to the construction industry, Elevated Steel specializes in custom fabrication, powder coating, and expert installation on commercial projects throughout the Continental U.S. The company and its dedicated team of skilled technicians — supported by its state-of-the-art 113,000-square-foot facility north of Atlanta in Adairsville, Georgia — are passionate about exceeding customer expectations. With a flexible, customer-centric approach, Elevated Steel is committed to being trusted partners on every project.
SUCCESS STORY
ResinDek Flooring Supports Complex Platform Build In Middle-Mile Parcel Sortation Center