How to know when to replace your lumber racks

have become distorted or rippled also may be cause for replacement.

'The old, overworked adage about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure really applies in rack systems," explains Darnell. "It's best to 'pre-act' by ordering the proper equipment to begin with."

the tower or base to the point of metal fatigue; rusted or corroded arms that dip below the horizontal position.

(3) Cantilever base bent, twisted or otherwise damaged by lift trucks; protruding sharp angles put employees and customers at risk of injury.

For roll-formed steel pallet racks in high capacity areas, he suggests using uprights with protective double posting on the front column to resist lift truck damage. Or consider more damage resistant structural steel pallet racks.

WHETHER canlilever racks are roll-formed or slructural steel can mean a world of difference.

VARDS typically replace their I lumber racks either because they're breaking down or are less efficient than alternative systems. Should you be among them?

Roll-formed cantilever racks are the most susceptible to damage. According to Alan Darnell, Sunbelt Material Handling, Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., warning signs on roll-formed racks include:

(1) Significant arm damage; arms broken or bent below the horizontal position.

(2) Substantial rust or corrosion on

(4) Bolt holes through the tower somewhat reamed usually from being banged by lift trucks; arms don't seat properly.

Any one or a collection of these symptoms provides a good reason to replace roll-formed cantilever racks.

Structural steel pallet racks are much thicker and sturdier, so problems such as rust on the I-beam tower are generally not as critical. Most important is to look for any evidence of cracked welds. Arms that sit at a slight downward angle are a red flag to inspect them rather closely where they are welded to the connector plate.

Flanges on the beam tower that

On cantilever racks for all uses except the very lightest capacity applications, always use cantilever made of structural l-beam construction. While much more durable than roll-formed cantilever, it is only slightly more expensive. Its useful life should be two to three times that of roll-formed.

Since rust and corrosion seriously affect the rolled steel components of cantilever and pallet racks, it's best to employ structural steel racks for exterior uses, especially in coastal areas.

Last year, Sunbelt began working with Georgia-Pacific to supply all the storage rack systems for the reconfiguration of G-P's entire building materials distribution and millwork divisions. Weeks were spent in the design phase to ensure that all rollformed rack was properly reinforced with double posting where needed, and structural steel was specified in the most damage-prone areas. All cantilever rack was of structural Ibeam construction. Drive-in. stack racks and many other types were speciliccl. TItc idea was t() prcplan to llreVcnI as ntuch clantage us ltossiblc lund cnsurc thc ntost lltproltritrtc lack s\ ster)r rras Lrsctl tbr cuch apltlication. Sonrctintcs rards r-epluec thcir |ltcks n()t ls lilt clltL.fgcltcy t)lcltsufc. [rut as u eolltpctitive nlrnuevcr. []acllr tlesigttt'tl \lr)l'itlj\' \\ )lL lt)\ tlllrkt' .tt,eL in!r ancl ulrstockins ntolc clil'l'icLrlt ancl tinrc consunting. C)tlrcls takc u1'r too rluch splrcc. LJncovercrl olrtsiclc stor lugc contlibLrtes t() invclttory sht'inkagc."lnclcpcnclcltt lLlnt1)cr-\ alcls ull bclong to it c()-olt. so thcy'r'c basicullv bLrying at thc santc priccs. Their. onlr \\'lrv to cut c()sts is to irnprorc c11i-

Story at a Glance

Are your lumber racks ready for replacement? ... new storage systems can increase safety, productivity.

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(1 ) On roll-formed pallet racks, any encoulage regular safety inspections. [crt.rs rtlso prole ct \ rrrcls' upright with substantial damage to the vertical Roll-formed beams with defective or damI lluable invcntory l'rorn posts should be replaced immediately. Most aged safety devices can be bolted to the tl'tc sun ancl rain. "Lunrbcr accidents occur lrom failure of the i.rprights upright ensuring their continued safe use. is a prett\ lou nrargin itcnr. when damaged, and regular inspectionsian Beams in structural pallet rack are bolted to lct it takes up the biggcsr easily detect such damage. Heavy rust and the upright anyway, but should also be paft 01 (l dealcr"s) r'alrl corrosion can fatigus roll steel in the upright inspected to ensure that the bolts remain ancl reprcscnts thc bulk ,rl frame and be justaS dangerous as a iauie properlytorqued. his inveslnre nt." Ritz notcs. fOr cOllapSe aS a badly damaged Upright.

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(2)wrrire it is possible to overload a pal the same problems as pallet rack. Uprights parricr-rlarly wirh nrlrerialr let rack beam to the point of failure, the most and arms showing severe lift truck damage or such us trearccl lunrbcr." comm0n damage or safety problem occurs serious rust and corrosion should be Your olcl racks rnay be when beams are improperly connected to the replaced. Typically, structural l-beam cancosrirrg yoLr nrorc ,,,,,n"r upright post. Beams in roll-formed rack sys- tilever needs only regular inspection to tha'" ':eu s\srern 'trourd i'# :lnf #iii'g1il i;trJ#,y,.J,ill :#:fiJffi,1ii,?;ji":;i"'ting components