Archive & Records Storage
Archive & Records Storage Solutions
High-density storage for facilities where every box needs to be retrievable, every square foot matters, and paper's fire code classification changes everything about the design.
Group A
Paper commodity classification: highest fire code scrutiny for storage design
2× Capacity
Vs. fixed shelving in same footprint with mobile systems
$0.50–1.00
Monthly storage cost per box with high-density shelving
Minutes
Retrieval time target: organized, labeled systems built for audit-speed access
Archive and records storage facilities require high-density shelving and racking systems designed to maximize storage capacity per square foot while maintaining organized access to boxed records, files, and documents. These facilities must comply with fire code requirements for high-pile storage and often use mobile shelving, catwalk systems, or mezzanines.
What We Understand
The Challenges Specific to Archive & Records Storage
Paper Is a High-Hazard Commodity, and Most Vendors Don't Design for It
Paper records are classified as high-hazard Group A under fire codes. That classification triggers sprinkler density and water supply requirements far above standard warehouse storage. Many archive operators discover this during inspection, after the system is already installed. A racking design that ignores commodity classification will fail fire marshal review, and retrofitting sprinkler systems after installation is significantly more expensive than designing for compliance from the start.
Retention Mandates Keep Growing, but Your Facility Doesn't
Legal, medical, and government organizations face mandatory retention timelines that add volume every year. When your record room fills up, you can't simply stop accepting files. Off-site storage adds cost and retrieval delays. The real solution is maximizing box capacity within your existing footprint, which requires purpose-built systems, not repurposed warehouse shelving.
Auditors Need Records in Minutes, Not Hours
In regulated industries, auditors and legal teams request specific records on short notice. A disorganized or overcrowded archive turns a routine retrieval into an hours-long search. Retrieval speed depends on system design: labeled positions, logical range organization, and pick access at every level. The storage system itself determines whether your team can pull a box in minutes or spends half a day looking.
Our Approach
Fire Code First, Then Density
Archive storage design starts with fire code compliance, not shelf dimensions. Paper's Group A commodity classification requires specific sprinkler densities and water supply calculations that exceed standard warehouse requirements. Catwalk structures trigger egress compliance, structural engineering for live loads, and in-rack sprinkler coordination. We design these requirements into the project from day one, coordinating with your fire marshal before a single shelf goes in.
Once the fire protection envelope is defined, we maximize box capacity within it. We configure shelf depths and heights for your specific record types: standard records boxes, legal files, binders, medical charts, evidence containers, or mixed formats. Mobile carriage systems convert wasted aisle space into storage, and catwalk configurations provide hand-pick access at every level without lift equipment.
Every project produces complete documentation: stamped engineering drawings, sprinkler calculations, permit records, and position labeling. For regulated facilities where auditors review storage compliance, this documentation is as important as the physical system. We deliver both.
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Recommended Systems
Storage Solutions We Commonly Install for Archive & Records Storage
Archive Storage Racks
Purpose-built racking configured for standard records boxes. Catwalk systems for multi-level hand-picking or order picker configurations for lift-assisted retrieval. Every box position individually addressable.
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Mobile Pallet Racking
Shelving on powered carriages eliminates fixed aisles, delivering 50 to 100% more records capacity in the same footprint. Ideal for record rooms where expansion isn't an option.
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Mezzanines
Structural steel platforms that add a full second level of records storage without building expansion. Dedicated archive floors above warehouse or office space.
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What This Looks Like in Practice
60,000 sq ft records management facility in Atlanta: mobile shelving system on powered carriages with four-level catwalk access, configured for standard records boxes. Fire protection engineered for Group A commodity classification with in-rack sprinkler coordination. Increased box capacity by 85% over the previous fixed-shelving layout while meeting all fire code and egress requirements. Passed fire marshal inspection on first review.
Archive facilities are capacity problems at their core. The question is always how to fit more into the same footprint while keeping everything accessible and code-compliant. Mobile shelving and high-density layouts are usually the answer, and we've designed enough of them to know where the pitfalls are.
Jeff Andrews
CEO, Hammerhead Warehouse Systems
Related Industries
Building or Expanding a Records Storage Facility?
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