"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

snip
couldn't resist that one). Modern business premises are built on concrete
rafts with no basement - pits would add enormously to the expense.

That is arguable, if the workshop is being built there would be little (or
no) extra cost in building a pit at the 'footings' stage of construction,
unless there are local reasons why a pit would cause problems, such as a
high local water table. Pits are not generally used now days due to the
fact that they are inflexible (you can re-locate a pit as you can a hoist if
the workshop layout needs to change) and that there are the many health and
safety problems with them.