Planning Rationale
The loading dock is an area that allows for delivery trucks and shall be located in a discreet location and near the kitchen receiving area to facilitate deliveries. It shall be as far away as possible from the student drop off areas so as to avoid interference with delivery trucks and other service related vehicles.
Design Considerations
- Driveway: Shall be wide enough to accommodate two trucks ( see above for truck sizes) and provide required turning radius. The driveway surface shall be concrete with a crushed stone base. See Site Design for more information.
- Delivery Zones: Accommodation for deliveries and waste management/recycling should be addressed and managed on a campus wide approach. All the buildings on a given campus site including the delivery/pick up areas and routes need to be coordinated between the pick up and drop off zones.
- Truck Sizes:> CPS has (3) typical delivery truck sizes which shall be accounted for when planning and designing all delivery/loading related zones:
- 24’-3” x 7’
- 30’-8” x 8’-4”
- 36-8”x 8’-4”
- Dock Layout: Two trucks shall be accommodated through a single, wide, coiling door at a time. Standard truck size is 8’-0” wide by 35’ -0” long. A minimum of two feet clear shall be provided for clearance on either side of the truck and a 20’-0” clear height is needed for truck operation. A recycling area shall be sized based on the volume of single stream recycling waste generated by the school in coordination with the waste hauler. It should be noted when there are instances where waste and recycling are located within a loading dock scenario the design scheme is required to incorporate an open air solution.
- Recycling Area: Intended to hold recyclables collected by custodian staff from throughout the building prior to delivery to an outdoor recycling container. Size the recycling area as recommended in the LEEDTM for Schools reference guide. It should be noted that this area shall not be a confined, enclosed interior location.
- Compactors: A 30 cubic yard capacity trash compactor dumpster unit is required within close proximity to the kitchen, in addition to a central recycling area. Compactors are approximately 8’-0” wide and 20’-0” long. Allow for 77” width, and 80” minimum clear width.
- The compactor and recycling dumpster may be located well within site boundaries or close to property lines requiring alley access. In all scenarios the hauler must remain completely within the property during loading and unloading if access is from a street. The hauler may not intrude into an intersection when stopped prior to backing into compactor enclosure.
- Within the enclosure shall be a 2’-0” x 3’-0” hydraulic unit with electrical disconnect switch to be located at the end of the compactor (either side).
- A concrete pad 8’-0” wide x 33’-0” long shall accommodate a self contained trash compactor that is 23’-0” long, 8’-0” wide x 8’-8” high. This pad will allow approximately 10’-0” overlap for a standard sized 34’-1” long hauler (per National Waste Services, Inc.).
- Yard Storage: Intended to house lawn mowers and snow plowing equipment, sand, salt, etc, the yard storage room shall be a part of the building and only accessible from the exterior. No fuel storage allowed. See 2.4.2 for more specific requirements.
- Building Engineer’s Office: The Building Engineer shall have an office located on the ground floor, adjacent to the service entrance and in close proximity to the mechanical room, yard storage area, and compactor. The office is to be provided with power, data and phone lines to accommodate at least two workstations. A toilet room is to be provided in close proximity to the office.
Elementary Schools/High Schools
- Loading Dock: The loading dock shall be enclosed, open air, and shall contain the recycling area with the trash compactor, and space to accommodate two trucks. One truck shall access the trash compactor, and the other for deliveries. The loading zone shall be sufficiently far from the street such that the truck does not protrude into the public right of way when backed into the dock. If the site requires a 4’-2” high dock with necessary dock leveler shall be provided with CPS approval.
- The compactor and recycling dumpster:
- Shall be located in a masonry enclosure as part of the building, outdoors/open air with direct access to the loading dock area.
- 8” minimum concrete pad required at driveway and loading dock area.
- Provide a hose bibb and an area drain with clean-out.
- Protective bollards shall be provided to provide protection of exterior walls, fencing, and gates for proper ingress and egress protection.
- Provide a motorized overhead coiling door access as well as a man door (4’-0” wide x 7’-2” high min.) to the exterior. If a situation arises where this area/building function cannot be provided within the building, please follow the guidelines for Elementary school provided in the preceding paragraphs.
- Within the enclosure shall be a 2’-0” x 3’-0” hydraulic unit with electrical disconnect switch to be located at the end of the compactor (either side).
- An engineer’s office shall be directly adjacent to the service area.
- Alternate Masonry Trash Enclosure: When the open air enclosed loading zone that contains the recycling area with the trash compactor is not achievable, then the masonry trash enclosure described below shall be provided Typically loading occurs on the exterior of the building and no indoor dock is provided, though space for a truck to pull in to access the compactor without interfering with the public right of way shall be provided.
- The compactor and recycling dumpster:
- Shall be located outdoors within a masonry enclosure providing a visual barrier. When the masonry wall is located in the zoning setback, it must have one side open for steel gates and be less than 9’-0” tall above natural grade. From a Zoning Ordinance aspect, It is then classified as a wall, an allowable permitted obstruction in front, side and rear yards. Within the enclosure, a frost proof yard hydrant and floor drain is required for cleaning purposes or a hose bibb may be provided on the building within 20 feet of the gate.
- 8” minimum concrete pad required at driveway and loading dock area.
- Protective bollards shall be provided to provide protection of exterior walls, fencing, and gates for proper ingress and egress protection.
- A pair of steel gates provide 80” clear access minimum in the direction of the hauler approach. Additionally a 4’-0” wide steel gate for school custodial staff access is required if the compactor gates are out of the path of walking from the building exit. The picket spacing is to be a maximum of 4”.
- Within the enclosure shall be a 2’-0” x 3’-0” hydraulic unit with electrical disconnect switch to be located at the end of the compactor (either side).