What You Need to Know About Pallet Rack Row Spacers

Row Spacers – A Small Yet Significant Component in Back-to-Back Pallet Rack Design

Warehouse safety is a top priority for every Colorado warehouse operator. Pallet rack row spacers help to maintain the safety and compliance of back-to-back pallet rack systems. Learn what they are and how they can help you. 

WHAT ARE PALLET RACKING ROW SPACERS?

Pallet rack row spacers are narrow steel bars used to connect rows of pallet racking when the systems are placed back to back. There are a variety of row spacer designs and styles to match the specs of your system. Standard design options include channels, steel bars, or rods in a range of widths and finishes, including unfinished, galvanized, or painted.

ROW SPACER FUNCTIONS

• Maintain the mandatory longitudinal flue space between the rack rows for fire code and safety compliance
• Help keep rack rows plumb and in alignment supporting warehouse order and function
• Provide added stability and bracing should the rack be struck by a forklift
• Heavy-duty structural spacers support tall racking and wider flue spaces – 24”+

FIRE PROTECTION & FLUE SPACES

The main function of the row spacers is to secure the opening between rows of back-to-back pallet racks. Overhead sprinklers must be able to provide water to each pallet rack level in the event of a fire. To allow water to penetrate in back-to-back pallet rack configurations, a flue space is required between the rows, and the row spacers help establish and maintain that opening. 

Choosing THE RIGHT ROW SPACER Size

Standard row spacer lenghts are 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 14″ and 18″. A 12” row spacer is typical for a 42” deep pallet rack, whereas a 6” can be used for 48” deep rack due to the lack of pallet overhang in the rear of the system. A conventional vertical flue space requirement is 6”, but fire codes must be consulted separately for each application to confirm. Longer row spacers can also be used to connect racking around warehouse columns.

The length of the row spacer refers to the distance between the flanges.

How Can ROW SPACERs Affect Pallet Rack Height?

Structural spacers allow for a reduced number of anchors and smaller baseplates. They are optional for short pallet rack but can add stability and rigidity to the system. However, they are mandatory for tall pallet rack where the height-to-depth ratio is greater than the suggested ANSI/RMI 6-to-1 Ratio (total rack height divided by 240). 

The 6-to-1 ratio refers to the height-to-depth ratio of a single rack row measuring from the floor to the highest beam level, then dividing that by the depth of the upright. Note: this ratio cannot be greater than 6-to-1 without an engineering review. 

In order for back-to-back pallet rack to be in compliance, those with a height-to-depth ratio of 6:1 or more require row spacers attached to the uprights a minimum of 8’ to 10’ apart.

Row spacers should be placed at brace panel points beginning at the second horizontal upright brace elevation (approximately 48”- 60” from the ground) and subsequently at every second horizontal brace panel point thereafter (approximately 84” to 108” spacing). 

Flue spaces that are 24” or wider require heavy-duty spacers with supplementary hardware requirements. Heavy-duty spacers are normally used in conjunction with a heavy-duty horizontal strut for additional system stability.

HIGH-DENSITY PALLET RACK STORAGE

Row spacers are also used in high-density storage rack systems such as drive-in/ drive-thru, push-back, pallet flow, and pallet shuttle systems. The deeper lane design of these systems is created using a series of uprights, columns, and row spacers.  

The image below shows a 4-deep push-back rack system using the following upright line: upright – row spacer – upright – row spacer – single column at the back.

ROW SPACER INSTALLATION TIPS

Pick the correct size of row spacer and ensure that the style matches the pallet racking system design, i.e., structural rack or roll-formed.

Before securing the row spacers to the rack uprights, confirm that the rack is plumb and ensure that the spacers are free from obstruction from cross beams, struts, and other components. 

MAINTAINING PALLET RACK SAFETY 

Row spacers are subject to damage in busy warehouses. Stability and structural issues can arise if a row spacer is damaged and isn’t able to do its job. Additionally, you may have inventory encroaching on the flue area, creating a fire hazard.

The Apex PROs are certified warehouse safety and rack repair experts that will come to you and conduct a thorough pallet rack inspection. We provide a comprehensive report and independent repair solutions if needed. 

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PALLET RACK EXPERTS – THE APEX COLORADO TEAM

Back-to-back pallet rack offers a number of benefits, but in order to enjoy them, proper system configuration is key. Row spacers are a key safety aspect of the configuration. 

Contact your local Apex Colorado team to help you optimally configure your pallet racking. We are your local full-service storage solutions and material handling provider. Our team will work with you to choose the right solution to meet your unique needs. We also have professional installation teams that will ensure your system is built to meet all safety regulations.