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 ...
Repair The Rack System Versus Repair The Damaged Component
Rack systems’ appearance is deceptively simple. Uprights and beams form a framework that holds pallets with loads of product; to the casual observer, these systems don’t look overly complex. So if a rack component is damaged, it should just be ...
Field Welding Versus Bolt Repair For Damaged Pallet Rack
Upon discovering and identifying that damage has occurred to a pallet rack column, frame or beam, in some cases the fastest and most affordable repair approach might appear to be field welding. That is, an on-site maintenance technician attempts to ...
How Do Building Codes Impact Rack Repair?
In most municipalities pallet rack installations (as are other building structures) are governed by the International Building Code (IBC)—developed by the International Code Council and adopted for use as a base code standard by the majority of jurisdictions in the ...
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 ...
Three Things To Consider Before Repairing Damaged Pallet Rack
When damage to a pallet rack beam or column is identified, it is critical that all product stored within the system be removed and repairs made quickly to return the racking to its original safe condition. Before undertaking a repair, ...
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 ...