Rock Solid Pallet Rack Anchoring Tips for Our Colorado Customers

Drill Down on Warehouse Safety with Secure Pallet Rack Anchoring

Pallet racks house all or most of your valuable inventory, so it is clearly essential (and maybe even obvious) that they remain upright. A lot of rack stability lies in proper anchoring, i.e., how uprights are secured to the warehouse floor. Between the RMI guidelines, manufacturer specifications, engineering instructions, and local building codes… a significant focus is spent on this single topic because it is so critical. Here are the important aspects of pallet rack anchoring to help you assess the safety of your rack system.

RMI Pallet Rack Anchoring Guidelines

According to the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI), all columns (rear & aisle) on all frames must be equipped with baseplates for the purpose of anchoring the rack system to the warehouse floor. Anchor bolts must also meet established specifications.

Concrete Pallet Rack Anchoring Tips

Anchored Baseplate

Pallet Rack Baseplate Design

Baseplates serve several critical functions for a pallet rack system. They anchor the system to the floor, stabilize it and help to disperse the weight. They are pre-drilled with two or more holes to anchor the column to the concrete floor.

The baseplate size can vary by manufacturer, and the hole diameter can vary from ⅜” to ¾.” The baseplate provided with each pallet rack should afford the required surface area and stability. In areas with more significant seismic activity, thicker and or larger baseplates are used. It also depends on the slab thickness and location. The thickness of a baseplate ranges from ⅛” to ¾.”

Pallet Rack Anchoring Options

In order for a column to be properly secured, each baseplate must have a minimum of one anchor. An engineer specifies the quantity, brand, and size of the anchors during the pallet rack design. In most cases, only one anchor is required, so some holes in the baseplate will go unused. The extra baseplate holes are helpful in the event that installers hit rebar when drilling an anchor hole. Also, the extra holes can be used for re-anchoring a pallet rack if the anchor is damaged.

Be sure to confirm the rack is level before anchoring it. Once a pallet rack is correctly anchored, it can withstand busy warehouse activity, including forklift impact.

In addition to baseplate rack anchors, it’s recommended that rack systems have a secondary connection point to properly secure them, such as row spacers for rack rows that are placed back-to-back and or overhead ties.

SECURING BACK-TO-BACK PALLET RACK

Row spacers are steel bars connecting back-to-back rack systems. They are supplementary connection points that add significant vertical stability to the rack systems and help keep the flue space between them open per fire safety regulations.

SECURING SINGLE-ROW PALLET RACK

A single row of pallet rack against a wall may seem like an ideal case for wall anchoring… however, our warehouse experts do NOT recommend this as a habit. Anchoring pallet rack to a wall increases stress on the building that it is unlikely designed to support. If a single row needs to be tied off, it should be connected to an adjacent pallet rack with an overhead row tie unless the building engineer reviews and approves the use of wall ties.

Guarding Pallet Rack Against Warehouse Strikes

Baseplate anchors provide rack safety in terms of stability, but they can’t protect the system from forklift strikes. Column protectors and end row guards are essential companion components that protect the integrity of your pallet rack system and improve overall warehouse safety.

Apex Colorado is your local warehouse solutions, expert team. We have all of your warehouse needs covered. Our experts can guide you through the critical process of proper pallet rack anchoring, and we provide professional installation. Give us a call today to discuss your pallet racking storage needs, and we’ll find the best solution for you.

Installation of Teardrop Rack