In most municipalities, the International Building Code (IBC) governs pallet rack installations as well as other building structures. The IBC— developed by the International Code Council and used as a base code standard by the majority of jurisdictions in the U.S.—references RMI’s ANSI MH16.1: Design, Testing and Utilization of Industrial Steel Storage Racks in section 2209.1 as the standard for safe design and installation of steel storage racks. Therefore, when a damaged rack requires repair, it may be necessary to reassess the structure based on current building codes.
Engage a Rack Engineer to Supervise Repairs
Prior to fixing damaged pallet rack beams or columns, it is essential to engage the services of a qualified, professional engineer. This professional supervises and directs the assessment of the system’s condition. They also design and oversee the ultimate repair or replacement.
Building codes and standards evolve and improve over time. This means a rack system installed several years ago may not meet current standards. Therefore, when repairing an older system, it’s important to determine if the work should align with the codes in place during the original installation? Or, should it match current standards?
As outlined in RMI’s “Guideline for the Assessment and Repair or Replacement of Damaged Rack – Version 1:”
- Repair projects with the original stamped and sealed engineering drawings and documentation that do not have any changes likely do not need evaluation under the current RMI/ANSI Specification.
- If no calculations or documentation from the original project exist but are now required, the system must be evaluated under the current RMI/ANSI Specification and IBC requirements.
In other words, if the original engineering documentation is available and the system has not moved or changed, the supervising engineer may elect to evaluate the repair of the system under the original design guidelines and building code standards. If the original engineering documentation is unavailable, or the system moved or relocated, best practice is to evaluate and permit the system to current building code standards.
Learn More About Rack Repair
Download RMI’s Guideline for the Assessment and Repair or Replacement of Damaged Rack – Version 1.
