Pallet rack beams are the heavy lifters in your pallet racking system. Valuable inventory rests on these mission-critical parts in your warehouse. Yet, there are some small details that, if neglected, could cause these parts to fail. This article will reveal best practices regarding beams that every warehouse manager should know to keep your warehouse functioning safely and efficiently.
How Critical are Pallet Rack Beams?
There are three essential facts about pallet rack beams, the most prominent being that they hold the weight of your inventory between the upright frames of your pallet rack system. Yet, there are two less obvious things beams do that are often overlooked.
First, they provide horizontal rigidity to the racking system, keeping it from swaying left to right. The second and least apparent is how they impact the torque strength of the frame. The pallet rack beams provide rigidity to the frame’s columns, keeping them from bending under the weight lower in the frame structure. Keeping your beams functioning optimally is critical to your entire warehouse. Keep reading to make sure you cover all the details and best practices that prevent beam failure.
Correct Installation of Pallet Rack Beams
Proper Pallet Rack Beam Spacing
Racking beams should be specified by an engineer familiar with the design and the construction of pallet racking. If the size of your inventory and beam requirements change, an engineer must be consulted and may, upon analysis, be able to specify different vertical spacing for your system. Any alterations in spacing patterns should only be done by an engineer, as these spatial gaps affect the overall load capacity of your frame. Larger gaps will cause frame columns to torque away from the gap due to the lack of horizontal rigidity that larger gaps create. Never casually change the beam spacing, follow the original design of your racking system, and remember to contact an engineering expert before changing the original design.
The pallet racking beam clip or engagement pin system used by the OEM manufacturer should be used to connect your beam to the columns unless an alternate engineered connection has been approved for use. Inspect the beam clip or pin to ensure it is fully and properly engaged. Often, on roll-form frames, a safety clip or device is used in addition to the standard engagement clip or pins to ensure that the beam-to-frame connection does not disengage accidentally.
RMI states that beam locking devices are required to prevent pallet rack beams from accidental dislodgement caused by fork truck activity in the rack position below. These can be bolts or pins, hooks, or other devices that satisfy the RMI-specified 1,000-pound uplift requirement. Make sure each beam endplate is fully aligned and adequately engaged with the upright columns. Disengaged pins or clips can lead to racking beams failing and cascading damage to facility personnel or other racking structures.
Also, don’t assume a bigger bolt is better than the original clips. The beam engagement clips or pins were specifically engineered for your rack, even engineered to fail under specific conditions to keep the entire system safe. Never use an aftermarket bolt to replace a missing pin or safety clip that a qualified engineer has not approved. These small parts can make or break the safe operation of your whole warehouse. These small but mighty connectors support tons of weight. It is mission-critical that you ensure their proper fit and proper condition.
Proper Loading and Labeling
Each pallet rack beam has a maximum weight designated by your pallet rack system engineer. Pallet rack beams should be labeled with the maximum weight capacity, and the label should be on the front of the beam facing the aisle. It is recommended by RMI that system load capacity rating charts be displayed in conspicuous locations at the end of each row to display the maximum allowable load for each beam configuration in that aisle.
Loads must also be evenly distributed and balanced. Typically, if you use this technology, your loading software should provide you with a pattern that evens your load. If you do not have this functionality, a visual inspection of the location of inventory can tell you if the loading is even.
Proper Decking
When decking is present, it should be installed properly. Some applications do not require decking. Wireframe or even wooden decking can be used. Verify that the decking meets the engineering needs and local codes of your specific inventory and pallet types. Consult an engineer before choosing or installing a decking system.
Additionally, pallet sizes should conform to the recommended sizes of your original engineering of the system. When decking or pallets fail, inventory can shift or fall, damaging your racking system and potentially injuring facility personnel. This is yet another critical detail to be aware of to ensure your warehouse’s safe, efficient functioning.
Pallet Rack Beam Types
Pallet Rack Beam Shapes
There are three typical beam shapes: box, step, and c-channel. Box beams have no inside step slot, and a wire deck, if used, is clipped on top of these bars. Step beams have a step that is used as a slot for crossbars and wire decks. Per your original engineering specifications, the original beam shape must be retained, or the beam will not maintain the original design capacity. Do not compromise safety. Damaged pallet rack beams must be replaced immediately.
Pallet Rack Beam Length
There are different lengths of pallet rack beams. Pallet rack beam length must be long enough to accommodate pallets, typically an additional 8" per pallet, 4" to the left and right of the pallet, leaving 8" between the pallets. As the length of the beam increases, so does the gauge of the beam. If not, the beam capacity will be significantly reduced compared to a shorter-length beam. Your system engineer calculates the total weight, and it is critical to stay within these standards.
Pallet Rack Beam Size
The type of steel and the thickness used in your pallet rack cross beams will also affect its ability to support weight. Since steel weights and gauges are not apparent by observation, make sure that you always use the specifications given to you stated on the original engineering plans. RMI recommends that you should not mix pallet rack beams from different manufacturers. Be sure that all replacements or new beams meet your original engineering specifications.
Damage to Pallet Rack Beams
Forklift Damage
Damage to pallet rack beams can come from several sources, the most common of which are forklifts and loading vehicles.
Impacts can damage pallet rack beams and deform or disengage the locking clips or endplates. Severe dents or shearing of the beams can also occur. Damage can occur more frequently when the loading vehicle is too large for the aisle width.
Damage can occur to the bay being loaded and to bays behind the loading bay that are backed into by forklifts. Make sure you are using the proper material handling equipment for your racking system design, operated by trained professionals. Have drivers report all impact incidents.
Improper Loading
Damage from overloading is a common form of damage in this category. This can cause deformation (bending) of the beam. While slight deformation is acceptable, it can become dangerous when the deformation from excess weight exceeds the maximum allowable. This deformation can be measured.
Unauthorized Modifications
Some warehouse staff don’t understand the importance of the precise location of pallet rack beams as a qualified engineer would. For example, you may work in the building, but it doesn’t mean you understand the architectural design. They think that the modular pins used on racking mean that beams can be moved to new locations without issues. Sometimes, racking beams are even removed to accommodate traffic or larger inventory. These modifications change the torque forces in your frame and can lead to the failure of your frames. This is damage to your system that doesn’t show up in bends and dents but is damage to the original engineering design, leading to a weakness just as unclipped beams or a damaged beam would. Train your staff to never move a beam without proper consultation by a qualified engineer.
Seismic Events
Earthquakes can twist and torque your racking system. After these events, damage may occur to endplates, locking pins, and column pinholes. From a safety perspective, be proactive and be sure to schedule a thorough professional inspection as soon as possible following a seismic event.
Corrosion
Corrosion is most dangerous in the small pins and clips that hold pallet rack beams in place. The load of your system depends on these small parts not disintegrating with rust or corrosion. The beams themselves can also rust through in exposed conditions. Special attention should be given to the very lowest section of the upright frame. Corrosion can affect the welds that connect the footplate to the upright frame post. If racking beams are mounted just above the floor, special attention should be given to the welds connecting the beam to the endplate and the frame. Be aware that corrosion may not be easily spotted from the front.
Upright Damage
Pallet rack beams depend on a sound connection to the upright. Uprights can be damaged when twisted during attachment or removal, impact, or seismic event. Both uprights and pallet rack beams must be considered when repairing. A trained professional from Damotech can guide you through this process’s complexities to ensure that these components have been properly inspected and conform to all engineering standards.
Inspection Techniques
Once your racking system has been installed properly, regular inspections should be conducted to ensure that there is no severe damage. Full inspections should be conducted by a professional at regularly scheduled intervals and documented for reference. Your racking inspection logs can be used in the event of an OSHA inspection.
Informal inspections
You and your team should perform informal and ongoing inspections. Workers should be empowered to spot damage and report issues. Damotech’s inspection checklist can be used for these informal inspections.
Training your staff to recognize and report damage helps keep warehouses safe. Informal inspections should never replace formal inspections by trained professionals according to RMI standards. Damotech offers a free safety inspection poster that can be ordered and displayed in your facility to educate your warehouse personnel on identifying and reporting damage racking.
Official Inspections
RMI standards dictate that formal inspections of pallet racks should be performed routinely, depending on your pallet rack system’s loads and use patterns. Damotech has qualified, trained inspectors who can perform these inspections for you.
Look for all the damage listed below. Take note and document the specific location if any of these conditions exist:
- Bent or downward beam deflection. Report deflection if the deflection distance exceeds the span’s length divided by 180.
- Missing, disengaged, or corroded beam clips.
- Load labels missing or unreadable.
- Beam end plates disengaged from the frame, bent, or weld failures.
- Dents, cuts, and cracks, if any, are seen in pallet rack beams or endplates.
- Improper loading that doesn’t conform to the load standards of your racking system.
- Missing pallet rack beams (beams that have been moved or removed for whatever reason).
- Pro Tip: Check behind-beam connectors and front/rear beams; unload them if necessary to inspect. Use a lift to inspect higher points. Report all temporary repairs.
Pallet Rack Beam Repair
Beam Repair
Typically, pallet rack beams should not be repaired. They should be replaced by identical OEM parts specified in the original engineering plan. Minor issues with locking pins and connectors may be addressed in a manner that conforms to the repair methods selected by the manufacturer or qualified engineer, which the manufacturer or a trained technician can perform. The beam should be offloaded when the damage is detected and inventory moved. Severe damage may affect the entire frame. An experienced, trained inspector or a qualified engineer from Damotech can inform you about what will be required for repair or replacement.
Upright Repair
The repair of uprights often directly interacts with your pallet rack beams. Upright repairs affect beams in two ways. First, beam damage can also damage the uprights. The punch holes on beams can be sheared, bent, or twisted. Never reinstall a beam into a damaged upright. Always repair your beams upright before reinstalling them. An experienced inspector can detect any damage done to your upright columns. Often, upright damage occurs right above or below a beam. As a result, the upright column section where the beam is attached to the upright needs to be replaced. If the beam attachment to the repair part is done without engineering oversight, the engineering integrity of the entire designed system will be compromised.
Watch out for beam repairs where endplates are removed. It is recommended to never cut the beam and plate off, commonly called a “hook over” endplate repair. Some manufacturers of repair kits will cut off the endplates of the OEM beams and then bolt the beam to a bracket or some other device to support the beam. This completely changes your frames’ engineering and dynamic weight interactions in ways that your pallet rack system was not designed for. Damotech repair kits will never compromise the integrity of your original engineering of the OEM beams, endplates, and connection pins without engineering approval and consultation.
Cutting an endplate off and attaching it to a device such as a “hook over” negates the engineered design’s structural integrity, compromising the strength of the entire system because one or two bolts bolting a roll-form endplate to a bracket is not seismically compliant with the seismic system’s design. Don’t be fooled by false claims that a hook-over can replace the OEM design beam-to-endplate connection’s original design integrity and capacity. It can’t!
ANSI standards for pallet racking systems and beams
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has set up specific rules and regulations for the usage of industrial components. Pallet racking systems are also included in these rules. Here are the rules directly associated with pallet racking systems and beams.
According to ANSI MH16.1:
- The racking system operator is responsible for maintaining and repairing the storage systems; i.e., the person in charge of the pallet racking system is to be held responsible for any misconduct in the process.
- Upon visible damage, the pertinent portions of the rack shall be unloaded immediately and removed from service by the user until the damaged portion is repaired or replaced, i.e., when you inspect a component to be damaged or broken, you immediately unload the damaged section of racking and tag it out of service until the damage is repaired or replaced. You’re not allowed to use the system until the damaged component has been replaced/repaired and reinstalled into the system.
- Any beam with visible deformation or cracking of the beam end connectors should be unloaded and replaced. Be sure beams are fully engaged and installed with proper safety locks. When you detect visible deformation or cracking in the beams, you need to remove the load and replace the damaged component immediately. You can utilize the system after repairing the component and engaging it in the system.
- When handling beams, you must adhere to a safe deflection limit. The maximum allowed deflection can be calculated by dividing the beam’s length by 180.
These regulations apply to all types of pallet racking systems, regardless of the kind of steel (cold-formed or hot-rolled), and to both movable and non-movable racking systems.
Key Takeaways
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Install your pallet racks properly according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
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Inspect beams informally and formally regularly.
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Use Damotech to inspect and install all engineered parts to avoid improper repairs that may compromise the system’s design and engineered capacity.
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Beams are a key component of any safe and efficient warehouse system.
Contact Damotech if you have any questions or need help with keeping your personnel and warehouse safe and efficient.
