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Structural Requirements for Walk-in Coolers

TECHNICAL BULLETIN
BLDG-16-3
September 2026

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IN THIS BULLETIN:

This Technical Bulletin establishes structural requirements for walk-in coolers placed within the interior of buildings or that are located on the exterior of a building. Walk-in coolers are considered “Non-building Structures Similar to Buildings” in ASCE 7-22 and certain sizes and configurations require a structural design.

Walk-in coolers may be assembled by connecting premanufactured wall, ceiling and floor panels. The composite panels may be clad with non-combustible sheathing or wood structural panels, and the cladding is compositely fused onto foam plastic insulation. The resulting composite panels provide structural assemblies used as load bearing walls, roofs or ceilings and are designed to resist diaphragm shears when placed in the vertical and horizontal position.

California Building Code (CBC) Section 2603.4 requires that the exposed surfaces of the cooler panels comply as thermal barriers when the cooler is located within a building.  Thermal barriers may include 1/2-inch gypsum wallboard, mass timber or heavy timber in accordance with Section 2304.11; alternatively, the panels assembly shall be tested in accordance with and meet the acceptance criteria of both the Temperature Transmission Fire Test and the Integrity Fire Test of NFPA 275.

CBC Section 2603.4.1 exempts compliance with the thermal barrier requirement based on various options, including whether the building where the cooler is placed is protected with a fire sprinkler system, the construction materials for the building, the thickness of the foam plastic insulation within the panels and ignition properties, as well as the size of the cooler. 

Structural Requirements

All walk-in coolers shall comply with the following installation requirements:

  1. A building permit is required for installing walk-in coolers. Construction plans must be submitted indicating the location of the walk-in cooler, either within the building or outside the building.
  2. Walk-in coolers must be installed so they do not obstruct exit doors, reduce egress widths along aisles serving existing spaces, or block view existing exit signs. Additionally, walk-in coolers must not impede accessible routes or maneuvering clearances at doors, stairs, ramps, or similar elements.
  3. If existing framing is required to be modified to accommodate the installation, structural plans and, when applicable, structural calculations must be provided.
  4. All walk-in coolers must be anchored in accordance with ASCE 7-22 requirements for equipment anchorage.  Each wall panel must have at least two anchors unless calculations justify alternative anchorage and inter-panel connections.  
    1. Walk-in coolers must be evaluated, listed, and labeled by a recognized agency in accordance with TB BLDG-17-5. 

Additional Requirements

Walk-in coolers that meet any of the following criteria must comply with these additional requirements below:

  1. Floor area exceeding 400 sq ft; 
  2. Constructed with a height greater than 12 feet; 
  3. Requiring interior supports for ceiling or roof panels; and 
  4. Located on the exterior of a building.
    1. Structural Design & Calculations. Structural calculations shall be provided demonstrating compliance with applicable lateral and gravity loads per CBC Chapter 16 and ASCE 7-22. Compliance with the seismic design requirements shall show be based on a classification as “Non-building Structures Similar to Buildings” per Section 15.5 of ASCE 7-22.
    2. Construction Plans. Construction plans shall include complete structural framing plans and connection details in the construction documents. The plans must show panel layout, support, and interconnections.
    3.  Foundation Requirements. Provide foundation plans for exterior installations. Foundations are required where interior installations need structural support or to satisfy anchorage requirements.
    4. Type of Construction (Interior Coolers) Walk-in coolers installed within buildings are exempt from CBC Chapter 6 type of construction requirements if the cooler complies with CBC Section 2603.4.
    5. Exterior Coolers Compliance. Walk-in coolers located outside buildings must comply with all CBC requirements, including Class A roof covering; exterior wall coverings; exterior wall and opening requirements based on fire separation distance. These coolers shall be classified as Type VB construction and the occupancy shall be classified as Group S-1 or S-2, unless otherwise determined.
    6. Accessible Routes. Accessible routes to the cooler should be provided and shown on the plans in accordance with CBC Chapter 11B, extending to the entry door landing when the cooler is used for storage. For other uses, accessible routes must extend into and through the cooler.

References