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Pallet Racking

Introduction

Pallet Racking is among the most commonly used means of storage. They are used in virtually every industry in every part of the world. There are numerous styles and types of pallet racking in the market today and it’s essential that the appropriate pallet racking be chosen to match the operation.

While pallet racking is an integral part of most warehouses, selecting the right components to meet a specific application can be confusing and, if not chosen correctly, can result in an unsafe situation. The following guide provides information on the components that make up a pallet rack and what steps should be taken to select the right unit.

One Pallet Rack Bay

Components and Accessories

Pallet racks are normally composed of several individual pieces connected together to form an entire storage system. 

One of the most vital components is the Upright Frame. Upright frames are large vertical pieces that form the “walls” of the structure, determining how tall and how deep your storage system will be. Frame sizes range from 72" to 192" high—even higher in some situations. The depths of these units generally range from 36" to 48".

Upright frame: The entire side of the racking pictured above in green, consisting of two posts and a series of support braces. Upright frames feature a series of keyhole slots, spaced every 2”, on the outside edges used to attach load beams. Two upright frames are required to assemble one section of racking; however you can add on additional sections with one upright frame (and the desired number of load beams). Weight capacities for upright frames are typically expressed by how much the bay can hold.

Load Beam: Pictured above in orange, load beams are used to create levels to store pallets or other items. Load beams are a tubular steel design featuring a notched out “step” that is used for accessory pieces like wire decking or cross bars. This step height is commonly 1-5/8”; however other step heights are manufactured. Load beams may also feature slots on the inside of the step for other accessories. Weight capacities of load beams are typically expressed as a pair.

There are multiple options available when designing your pallet racking system. Some of the more popular accessories used in creating a system include the following:

• Column Protectors: A guard mounted at the bottom of the upright frames used to protect the frame from impact damage.

• Row Spacers: Short brackets, commonly 6 to 12 inches, used to attach the uprights of back to back rows together. Row Spacers can improve structural integrity of the bays and prohibit one row getting pushed into another by a fork lift (or other material handling equipment). It is suggested that a minimum of 2 row spacers are used between each upright with a maximum spacing of 10 feet between each spacer. Add additional spacers if needed.

• Rigid Wall Bracket: Also referred to as wall fixes, these are used to bolt an upright frame to a wall to improve overall stability. Due to seismic issues in some states (like California), wall brackets may not be allowed. Consult your local building codes prior to installing.

• Roll-in crossbar: Support braces designed to fit inside the step on the load beams flush with the top surface of the beam. Roll-in crossbars are designed to fit into the slots on the load beams to secure them into place.

• Flanged crossbar: Unlike the roll-in style, flanged crossbars actually go over the top of the beam and waterfall over the front edge of the load beam. Flanged crossbars do not fit inside the slots on the load beams so they can move left to right. This style crossbar can be mounted to particle board or other types of decking to create a solid shelf surface if desired.

• Anchor: Anchor is used to secure the foot of the upright to the floor.

• Wire mesh decking: Open wire decking can add to the function of your pallet racking, allowing you to use the levels for items other than palletized loads. Wire mesh decking is designed to work with any 1-1/2” or 1-5/8” load beams and feature built in crossbars to improve rigidity. The size of the decking ranges from 34 to 58 inches and typically 2 or 3 are used side by side per level. Also, they are sized to be 4 inches smaller than the actual load beam lengths in order to prevent any buckling or binding.

• Pallet Rack Netting: This is used to attach to the backside of your rack to help protect employees from the potential of falling objects. This netting comes in various sizes and mounting styles to accommodate different applications.

• Sprinkler Systems: Sprinkler systems are often added to the pallet racks. Ceiling mounted sprinklers cannot control a fire located on the lower levels of the pallet rack. Therefore, if a sprinkler system is needed in a storage area, there are often sprinkler heads located in the rack. One concern with in-rack sprinkler systems is that they are easily damaged by the removal and placement of pallets on the rack. If sprinkler heads receive damage, they often spray large amounts of water in a short period of time, potentially damaging the items stored on the racks. 

• Miscellaneous Accessories: There are numerous accessories available for pallet racking systems: Reel holders (hold reels of wire), coil beds (hold cylindrical items), pallet stops (stop a pallet from sliding off the back of the load beam) and drum wedges (keep drums from rolling when placed horizontally on load beams).

Before Ordering Pallet Racking

Know Your Load
Before attempting to order any components, it is crucial that you know what exactly you are planning on using the pallet racking for. This includes, but may not be limited to:

• Overall dimensions of the material being stored. If load is palletized, determine the dimensions of the pallets as well
• Weight per unit
• Estimated quantity of material the racking is intended for.

Know Your Workspace
Once you have figured out exactly how the rack is being used, an understanding of the area in which you are placing this pallet racking is critical to ensure you can safely maximize your space. Some things to keep in mind include:

• What are the overall dimensions of the space?
• Are there any obstructions (ex. columns, machinery) in the area?
• What is the condition of the floor? Is there any slope? Does it have a rated load bearing capacity?
• How much overhead clearance is needed for sprinklers, lighting ventilation and any other overhead equipment?
• Are their seismic concerns in your area? If so, check with your local building codes regarding the requirements for this type of racking.
• How will the pallet racking affect the safety of the facility? Evacuation Routes in case of fire, location of eyewash stations, hard hats requirements to protect from potential falling objects, fall protection training and equipment (if employees are being man-lifted or using order pickers) and restriction of pedestrian traffic all may need to be reviewed if pallet racking is added.

Know Your Material Handling Equipment
Once you have determined if your space is suitable for pallet racking, determining how the material stored on the racking is going to be accessed is critical to ensure that the system is practical. Needed information includes:

• Load capacities of the fork lift or pallet trucks
• Turning radius is required for the equipment (to determine aisle widths)
• Maximum extended height of the lifting equipment (can it reach the top level?)

Selecting Your Racking

Use the following information to help determine the proper size of your pallet racking components:

A. Calculate Frame Height: Start with the height of your loaded pallet (or one unit of material). Add the height of your shelf beams. Add 4" for each load for vertical clearance. Take that number and multiply it by the number of levels.

B. Calculate Frame Depth: Measure the depth of your pallet (or one unit of material) and deduct 6". This gives you a 3" overhang from and rear.

C. Calculate Beam Width: Measure the width of your pallet (or overall width of one unit of material). Add 6" for clearance. Take that number and multiply it by the number of pallets (or units of material) that you want to store on each level.

D. Determine Required Weight Capacities: Start with the weight of your loaded pallet (or one unit of material) and multiply it by the number of pallets that are going to be stored on one level. This will correspond to your required beam weight capacity. Next, take this number and multiply it by the number of levels you are going to have in one bay, this will correspond to your required overall bay capacity.

Once you have determined the dimensions and capacities needed to support your load, choose the accessories that will best suit your needs.

Is Your Rack Safe?

Once you have determined what components are needed to make up your racking system, it can be beneficial to sketch out the completed system within the workspace to ensure everything is going to fit according to plan. Also, be sure to double check the following:

Weight Capacities
Upright frame capacities are commonly referred to as a “per bay” capacity. This is meant to describe the weight that two uprights can hold between them. This number is based on an evenly distributed load with evenly spaced beams. Having uneven spacing between levels or uneven load distribution can greatly affect the amount of weight an upright can hold. Be sure to review any load capacity information closely to make sure that what you select will meet your needs.

Stability
Just because the rack you’ve selected meets the dimensions and capacities you require, it doesn’t mean that will be stable. To check the stability, measure the height from the floor to the top of the highest beam. Then, divide this number by the depth of the frame (or frames if rows are situated back to back). If the resulting number is greater than 6, the unit you’ve selected has the potential to overturn and you need to revise your setup.

Rack Damage

Racks are not designed to withstand harsh blows and can dent fairly easy. Any structure that receives a major dent should be replaced. Many pallet racking systems are damaged during regular use—the most common from being struck by forklift trucks. In the interest of safety, a manufacturer engineer should periodically assess the structural integrity of the system. Major dents do alter the racks load-carrying ability, creating a very dangerous and unsafe working condition for your employees. 

Minor dents and scratches do not adversely affect the rack’s ability to perform its job safely and do not require immediate replacement. However, scratches and minor dents are good indicators of possible structural abuse. Proper forklift training and reinforcing safe operation will help reduce major damage to racks. (See EZFacts Document 106 Forklift Operator Training for more information on the topic.)

Commonly Asked Questions

References

29 CFR 1917.14- Stacking of Cargo and Pallets

http://www.interlake.com
http://www.jarke.com

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Please Note: The information contained in this publication is intended for general information purposes only. This publication is not a substitute for review of the applicable government regulations and standards, and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion. Readers with specific questions should refer to the cited regulation or consult with an attorney.