Why Does Pallet Rack Need To Be Straight And Plumb?
A pallet rack column that is leaning (out-of-plumb) or bowed (out-of-straight) beyond a certain point will have a significantly reduced capacity, making it unsafe and at risk of collapse. RMI defines the severity of these two conditions as follows: Out-of-Plumb ...
Mix Racking From Different Manufacturers At Your Own Risk
In many cases, rack collapses are caused by unsafe mixing and matching of incompatible components from different manufacturers (also known as “intermembering”). If a rack column or beam is damaged, an owner might erroneously believe that it can be replaced ...
Why Are Racks Anchored To The Floor?
All pallet rack columns should be anchored, or secured, to the floor with bolts, according to RMI’s ANSI MH16.1-2012: Specification for the Design, Testing and Utilization of Industrial Steel Storage Racks, section 1.4.7, “Column Base Plates and Anchors.” This includes ...
How Do Building Codes Impact Rack Design and Installation?
Although a rack structure may look like a standalone installation within a building, the safety of its design and installation are governed similarly to that of the facility itself. In fact, the 2015 International Building Code (IBC)—developed by the International ...
How Does Seismic Design Affect Rack Systems?
Seismically designed rack is not just on the West Coast anymore. Depending on where within the U.S. a facility is located, seismic design considerations may need to be taken into account when engineering, manufacturing and installing a pallet rack system. ...
What Is An R-Mark Certification And Why Is It Important?
RMI’s R-Mark Certification is a voluntary program for manufacturers of industrial steel storage racks and of welded wire rack decking. Certification assures storage rack users that the rack frame, beam and decking capacities shown in a unique design’s load table ...
Six Questions To Ask When Considering Buying Used Rack
A warehouse shuts down, and its assets and fixtures are sold—including the pallet storage rack, which is now available on the secondary, or used, market at a discount over a new system. While the perceived cost savings might seem to ...
Why Are Load Capacity Plaques Important?
Regardless of when a steel storage rack installation was designed, commissioned and installed, the original stamped and sealed engineering documentation detailing the maximum safe rack capacity should be kept on-site within a facility. However, chances are that paperwork is likely ...