Supermarkets

... are large retail outlets. They sell a wide range of foodstuffs and cigarettes/alcoholic beverages as well as consumer goods for short and medium-term household needs. They usually operate as self-service stores, have large sales areas as well as separate rooms for the preparation, refrigeration and storage of goods. Furthermore, sanitary, staff, office and technical areas are always required.

Due to the extensive sales areas, the analysed supermarkets are constructed as large, hall-like rooms (more or less column-free) for sales as well as annexes and extensions for additional functions. The outer walls are usually reinforced-concrete columns in combination with solid masonry, reinforced-concrete walls or reinforced-concrete sandwich elements. The roofs are constructed from reinforced concrete with roof panels or trapezoidal sheet metal sandwich elements, or in some cases wooden constructions with suspended ceilings.