MIL-HDBK-1032/2
Rail Docks. Include provisions for rail docks (see Figure 13) as
3.4.2
an option in the design of all storage facilities exceeding 40,000 square
feet (3716 sq. m). There are three primary types of rail dock:
3.4.2.1
Outside Docks. Outside rail docks use through-the-wall access to
rail cars without using an outside platform. Use inflatable seals to seal
the space between the rail car and the warehouse. Include a wall-mounted
dock board to provide access to the rail car.
3.4.2.2
Inside Docks. Inside rail docks may place the tracks inside the
building in a pit constructed to place the car floor at the same level as the
warehouse floor or on a floor level track. Pit type installations shall
include track-mounted dock boards. Because of the large amount of warehouse
storage space occupied by this type of dock, inside docks are not recommended
except under extreme circumstances in which sheltering of the car or
additional security is required.
3.4.2.3
Platforms. Platforms for rail service shall extend the full length
of the building and be 15 feet (4570 mm) wide. Platform height above rails
shall be 3 feet 8 inches (1118 mm) for general use. Equip platforms with
track-mounted dock boards.
Ramp Access. Provide ramps at the end of rail platforms and at one
3.4.3
warehouse truck dock door for vehicle 'access. Ramp slope shall not exceed 10
percent. Ramps for handicapped access shall be designed in accordance with
the Specification for Making Buildings and Facilities Accessible to, and
Usable by, the Physically Handicapped, American National Standards Institute
(ANSI), Al17.1-1961(Rl980). Handicapped access ramp slope shall not exceed
8.33 percent.
3.4.4
Dock Levelers. Provide dock levelers at all truck and rail dock
positions. Dock leveler life is directly affected by load weight, fork truck
weight, and frequency of use. Specify dock leveler capacity to provide a
minimum 20 year life (See Table 4).
3.4.5
Dock Weather Protection. Provide dock shelters or door seals in
heated, refrigerated, and dehumidified warehouses, to seal the space between
the truck or railcar and the building (see Figure 14). A canopy shall be
used to shield docks from precipitation.
3.4.5.1
Dock Shelters. Use dock shelters in applications where truck size
cannot be controlled. Sealing action is achieved through the wiping action
of the shelter on the trailer when a truck backs into and through the shelter
to the dock. Use shelters when the dock wall is not capable of resisting the
compressive forces exerted by a door seal.
3.4.5.2
Door Seals. Door seals achieve a seal by compressing between the
building wall and the trailer. Door seals provide greater sealing efficiency
than dock shelters but require a structural wall capable of resisting
compressive forces. Use of door seals requires close coordination of door
opening size and trailer size. Excessive size incompatibility will require
use of a dock shelter.
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