Upon discovering that damage has occurred to industrial steel storage rack, the best practice is to immediately remove the structure from service and safely unload all stored pallet loads. This significantly reduces the risk of a collapse. It also minimizes the potential for subsequent injury to employees and damage to product caused.
Recommendations for Repairing Loaded Rack
However, as noted in section 9.4 of the recently updated Guideline for the Assessment and Repair or Replacement of Damaged Rack — Version 2.0, published by RMI, it is sometimes possible to repair a damaged rack without unloading it first. Only a qualified storage rack design engineer can determine the appropriateness of this course of action. Always engage an engineer to assess the damage and make recommendations for the safest repair.
Per the Guideline, in certain situations attaching a jack to the rack column above the damaged section may be possible. This temporarily relieves the damaged upright of the load. With the jack secured in place, it is possible to complete the required repair work without unloading product.
For safety, the jack and its attachment to the column must have a capacity rating capable of supporting the actual load on the rack structure. Further, the supervising engineer must confirm and validate that the jack is appropriate for this use.
Additionally, the Guideline notes two special considerations when assessing the suitability of such a procedure prior to utilizing a jack:
- Floor conditions need to be considered when selecting a jacking method. For example, jacks that rely on friction to remain in place might not be appropriate for certain floor conditions.
- When a front column is supported by a jack and the existing bracing sections are removed to install a repair kit, the rear column’s unsupported height could increase significantly, which could reduce its capacity. The supervising engineer would need to evaluate the load that the unbraced rear column will have to support during such a repair.
Discover More Damaged Rack Repair Best Practices
To learn more about rack repair best practices, download RMI’s Guideline for the Assessment and Repair or Replacement of Damaged Rack — Volume 2.
