Block stacking is used for the storage of 48 40 unit loads. A counterbalanced lift truck is used to store and retrieve the unit loads, which are stacked five high. The storage aisle is 13 wide. A clearance of 8 is used between storage rows.

a. If 300 loads of a particular product are received and are to be stored, what storage depth will minimize the average floor space required during the length of time the product is stored? Assume the product is withdrawn from storage at a uniform rate.

Use continuous approximation and round off the answer to the nearest integer value.

b. Suppose the lot size in

(a) had been 50 unit loads. Using enumeration, determine the optimum row depth.

c. Suppose the lot size in

(a) had been 100 unit loads and the storage facility only has available storage rows that are three deep and six deep. Determine the optimum allocation of unit loads to row depths to minimize the average floor space required to store the 100 unit loads.

d. Determine the expected number of storage rows required using a storage row depth of three when the lot size in

(a) is 50 unit loads and the inventory levels for the product are distributed as follows during the product’s life cycle:

Inventory Percent Inventory Percent 50 20 25 5 45 20 20 5 40 15 15 5 35 10 10 5 30 10 5 5

e. In (d), determine the expected amount of floor space required using a storage row depth of four.