×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

pallet storage rack calculations without specs?

pallet storage rack calculations without specs?

pallet storage rack calculations without specs?

(OP)
I am working on a project involving relocation of pallet storage racks. The issue is that the racks are not made by the same company and the existing tenants do not have information regarding structural properties.

I went to the site and field measured all the frames, beams, and base plate dimensions. I also called a local guy which the tenants were sure to have purchased from them but that's about 25% of the storage racks.

I am not sure exactly how I should treat the rest. I guess specifically how do I determine the gauge of the steel for the remaining storage racks? Anyone run into this situation before I would greatly appreciate some advice. Thanks you.

RE: pallet storage rack calculations without specs?

micrometer will measure the gauge where you can "bite " the material. they're not cheap. provide some pics would help as well. Are you trying to size an L shape?

http://www.google.com/search?site=imghp&tbm=is...

RE: pallet storage rack calculations without specs?

(OP)
Thanks TDI. I can "bite" the posts, however the beams are enclosed shapes which make it difficult. I guess it's somewhat of a bubbly L-shape, depending on how you look at it. It's a hollow rectangular tube with a step for plywood or wire decking. Any recommendations on the enclosed shape?

RE: pallet storage rack calculations without specs?

Buying new racking has to be cheaper than paying an engineer to back-engineer it, never mind also actually moving it.

I suppose you could drill a hole near the neutral axis of each beam to get a measure of the gage. That would not detect internal reinforcement tubes, or the overlap of any lap joints, but working with just the shell would be conservative.

You have to deburr the front and back side of the hole to get an accurate thickness measurement, but having done that, you can measure the metal around the hole with
a hub micrometer:
http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/P...
... or a groove micrometer:
http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/P...

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources