The influence of pallets on the behaviour and design of steel drive-in storage racks - Part II Design

This paper analyses the influence of the horizontal restraints provided by pallets on the ultimate capacity of drive-in racks. The paper is based on the assumption that one can accurately determine the coefficient of friction between the rail beams and the pallets or can design a device that restrains the pallets from sliding on the rail beams. Thirty-six drive-in racks representing the global sale of an Australian manufacturer over three years are analysed for all possible loading scenarios. For the sake of computational efficiency, the simple 2D model introduced in the companion paper is used for the study. The load case(s) governing the structural design is(are) also clarified and the friction coefficient or strength of a restraining device required to prevent the pallets from sliding is determined.