Maximize Your Storage Space Despite Building Columns

Tips to “Build Around” Support Columns in your Carolina Warehouse

We’ve all been there – you’re trying to design a pallet racking system that makes sense for your North or South Carolina business, but permanent building columns just get in the way. While designing around obstructions can be challenging, it doesn’t mean you can’t maximize your inventory storage while minimizing your system footprint and providing safe passageways for pedestrians and equipment. Don’t believe us? Let’s build your perfect system. 

58’ between support columns is the sweet spot that allows for the most optimal rack placement – this layout is flexible and allows for different rack designs, such as: 

• VNA selective
• Narrow aisle selective
• Narrow aisle double-deep
• Narrow aisle push-back

While this distance works best for designing a pallet racking system around support columns – and we recommend incorporating it in new builds – it’s likely that your operation already has support columns in place. In these situations, we have various strategic design options that can be implemented to maximize your storage potential. 

Note: In areas prone to seismic activity, RMI has additional specifications that dictate the separation distance between rack bays and building columns. This distance should be equivalent to 5% of the rack height in the longitudinal (down-aisle) direction and 2% of the rack height in the cross-aisle direction. For instance, a 360″ tall frame translates to a 7.2″ gap on both sides. This impact can be significant in your rack layout, translating to the need for additional space allowance between racks and building columns to accommodate for the building to move in the event of an earthquake without colliding with the pallet rack.

Design Approach by Rack Type: 

Back-to-Back Selective Pallet Rack: 

Back-to-back selective pallet rack is a great choice for easily incorporating warehouse columns within the layout – without sacrificing storage capacity. These systems are one-pallet deep and need only single aisle forklift access to the front of the rack. Most often, selective rack rows are positioned back to back to consolidate the number of aisles. This layout requires an open area between the rack rows, A.K.A. the “Flue Space.” This opening must always remain free of inventory, pallets, and other combustible items for fire safety – but it’s the perfect space to house building columns. 

One consideration when using back-to-back selective rack around building columns is ensuring that your rack systems are properly tied with row spacers for stabilization. Taking that into consideration, here’s how to determine the optimal building column spacing to use with selective pallet rack: 

(Rack Depth * 2) + Flue Aisle + Aisle Width / No. of Rack Sections Between Columns

While this is a general guideline, your application may vary due to the required interface for your lift truck equipment –However, the Apex team can help to ensure your maximizing your space for your unique facility layout.

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Drive-in pallet rack offers a high-density storage solution with single-aisle forklift access, perfect for last-in/first-out inventory rotation (LIFO). This system is a great space saver when rack bays are positioned on either side of each building column like a sandwich. Since most columns measure 10″ x 10″ (some 12″ x 12″), uprights fit snugly against the column sides, resulting in minimal storage loss: only 10” or 12” of space for every 40’-50’ of system depth. For standard GMA-style pallets of 40″ x 48″, this only equals a loss of 1 drive-in bay for every 3 columns! Talk about space savings.

It’s important to remember that row spacers are also necessary to stabilize drive-in racks, so these should also be incorporated into design plans.

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Push-Back Pallet Rack

Another great dense storage system is push-back pallet rack. The multi-level high and wide system is designed with individual SKU lanes comprised of wheeled carts on slightly pitched rails. Each lane typically holds 3-4 pallets and provides a LIFO inventory rotation from a single access aisle. 

If worked correctly, the rack can be built around the columns for minimal storage loss. If the column can be positioned towards the back of the rack, the positions in front of the column can still be used, though this will mean that your 4-deep system becomes 3-deep in this configuration. Having a column positioned towards the front of a bay means more storage loss in this system, so it may not be suitable for ultra-high-density storage needs. 

To the right, you’ll see an example of a retrofit push-back installation where existing building columns were accommodated. Note that the column is placed in the 2nd position within the lane, leaving the first pallet position available.

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Gravity Flow Storage

Pallet flow rack

Pallet flow rack is a dynamic solution for dense storage needs anywhere from 2 to 20+ pallets deep. It is loaded and picked from opposite aisles, which minimizes forklift congestion and allows case picking directly from lower-level pallets if desired. Like push-back rack, pallet flow uses individual SKU lanes to store pallets; however, there are no carts. Pallets sit directly on wheels or rollers rails that are pitched to flow to the pick aisle. The sheer size of these systems can make it more difficult to build around existing columns, though it’s not impossible by any means. 

The example below shows how pallet flow can be configured around existing building columns. Similar to push-back rack, there is a loss of storage space in the “bay” that the column runs through – but the remaining storage density mitigates this loss. Bar grating is commonly used to prevent inventory from falling through the gaps around the columns.

Carton Flow: 

Carton flow is very similar to pallet flow rack but is designed to exist in lower rack levels for a high volume of SKUs picked as individual cases. It requires separate load and pick aisles and you can choose from wheeled or roller designs based on your inventory specs. Similar design considerations to pallet flow rack should be implemented to minimize lost storage around the columns.

Apex Companies Full-Service Support

Designing a storage system around existing building columns can be challenging, but your operation can see its maximum storage potential with a little bit of creative design help. Your local Apex Carolinas team is available to help every step of the way, from design and engineering to installation and even inspection and repairs if needed one day! 

We have warehouses conveniently located in Charlotte and Hickory, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina. Give us a call for help with any warehousing challenges you’re facing – We Got This.