The construction company OHL has opened a new documentary archive

Call for new archive

A result of the merger of three 100-year-old companies in 1999 (Obrascón, Huarte and Lain), OHL is an international leader in infrastructure construction and management (hospitals, dams, railway lines, tunnels, airports, roads, etc.). Its projects are concentrated mainly in Europe, the United States and Latin America.

Each new project that the company carries out translates into more documentation that must be stored securely (plans, permits, payslips, and more.). It has recently opened a new 2,000 m² archive in the Spanish town of Azuqueca de Henares (Guadalajara) to cope with this growing volume of records and documents.

Previously, they had another archive installation, “but it ran out of storage space,” says Felipe Clemente, who is responsible for document management at OHL. “The move, which was completed ahead of schedule, was done in stages, at the same time that Mecalux’s technical team was launching the new installation,” he added.

Two storage solutions

At these facilities, OHL manages 100,000 documents. A well-organised space and operations are essential to avert any chance of errors and help locate files when required.

The OHL document archive has been divided into two zones and, in each one, Mecalux has installed a different storage solution:

Shelving with walkways
The picking shelves are 8.3 m high and raised passageways are built on them to create three floors overall. This solution optimises the entire height of the warehouse to triple the usable storage space and, consequently, accommodate a larger number of documents.

Also, it has made it easier to manage the documents,” points out Felipe Clemente. The picking shelves allow direct access, which makes it easier to handle the files and, in short, quicker to carry out the storage tasks.

The way work is organised is a decisive factor when it comes to improving warehouse performance. Each of the three levels has a specific number of operators assigned to it, who carry out storage tasks and locate the required documents. With this system, many operators can work simultaneously.

Movibloc mobile shelving
It is a compact system ideal for storing files and documents, as it does not require much space by cutting out aisles and enabling only those that are essential. It consists of cabinets mounted on mobile bases that slide along rails.

With this system the available space is optimised to provide greater storage capacity. By opening a working aisle using a convenient hand crank, all documents are directly accessible.

“We are very satisfied with the Movibloc modules because they have provided us with a high degree of security,” says OHL’s document management director. These enclosed shelves have built-in locks that prevent unauthorised access to documents.

Felipe Clemente Calvo - Document Management Director at OHL
“The assembly of the shelving with walkways and Movibloc racks by the Mecalux technical team was done very fast and progressively, finishing ahead of schedule. In these two solutions, we can store all our documents very securely.”

Fire safety system

Operator and warehouse safety are always a priority. If anything, it is particularly true with document archives since they store extremely valuable material which is also flammable. This system has enough spray capacity to put out any blaze in the shortest time possible. Furthermore, the floor of the different walkway levels is perforated to allow the passage of water.

For this reason, and to ensure its overall integrity, a comprehensive firefighting system has been installed, which operates through automatic sprinklers located in the building’s ceiling.

Organisation and security

Mecalux has proposed a solution tailored to OHL’s needs which, with an infrastructure and a minimum investment, has made the most of the available storage space and achieved high performance from its document management warehouse.

With these facilities, OHL can manage 100,000 documents safely and efficiently.

Advantages for OHL

• Safety first: the archive has an advanced fire sprinkler system located on the ceiling of the building. Moreover, the locking system of Movibloc shelves prevents unauthorised access to files.
• Storage capacity: the two Mecalux solutions make use of the entire available surface area to store a greater number of documents, up to 100,000 units.
• Convenient document management: both racks and Movibloc units offer direct access to files, which helps locate any required document and facilitates storage and picking.