Seismic Engineering for Pallet Racking — Everyday Safety Benefits

Seismic rack engineering helps ensure that your pallet racking is designed and built to withstand earthquakes and other seismic events. By default, it’s also a good way to make sure your racks are resistant to ground movement and impact within your warehouse or facility. Your pallet racks carry tons of material every day, so it’s imperative that they’re designed to stay in place and maintain their integrity against the worst-case scenarios at any given point in time. 

We often think of earthquakes happening primarily on the West Coast, but the reality is, they are a genuine threat throughout much of the country. For example, in the Southeast in 2020, there were over 34 seismic events in Alabama with a magnitude of between 2.0 and 3.0. In 2018, Tennessee had over 300 quakes in 2018, the highest amount in nearly three decades, one of which had a magnitude of 7.5. The bottom line is that you need to protect your racking, materials, infrastructure, and, most importantly, your employees by making sure it’s engineered to weather these seismic events.

Seismic Prelims: Getting Started with Seismic Rack Engineering

Seismic preliminary drawings (prelims) are plans that outline the dimensions and specifications of the rack to illustrate they conform with specific seismic engineering guidelines for the geographic area they are being installed in. These drawings specifically illustrate: 

• Multiple angles of the rack to give a complete view of cope
• General specs (panel and level amount) 
• Maximum load amounts per rack level 
• Frame, beam, and connector specs (maximum stress and pressure amounts, size dimensions, etc.)
• Ground-level element specifications – baseplate dimensions and steel requirements; slab and soil pressure limits, subgrade reaction, slab-bending stress limits, anchor capacity, and stress limits.

This information is critical for determining that the racking is properly outfitted and designed to withstand seismic events. Seismic prelims should be on any rack buyers’ list of requirements from suppliers. Mitigating risk and personnel safety are especially important when buying high-rise rack-supported structures that could result in serious injury or death if not appropriately designed. Any reputable dealer or manufacturer offers preliminary reports detailing the rack required for the client’s specific layout and parameters. Seismic preliminary reports mitigate the risk associated with racking and the dangers involved.

Specific Seismic Engineering Code Requirements

In the past, seismic engineering requirements were all the same per seismic zone. Seismic zone is a term used to describe an area that is particularly prone to earthquake impact. They were once given a designation of between 0-4 to establish vulnerability. Current building codes, however, now use what are called seismic design categories, which range from A-F. These categories are based on hazard levels at each building site. Codes will vary in different seismic for each city block, and you must pass inspection before starting the building process. Some of the general rules in ANSI MH16.1: 2012 state: 

• Racks that exceed eight feet in height to the top loaded shelf, and are not connected to buildings or other structures, must be designed with seismic considerations. 
• Proper clearance must be maintained between the storage rack and the building or other structures to avoid damaging contact during a seismic event. 
• Soil and concrete classification will impact the design of the racking system. 

Soil and ground information can be found in seismic prelims. Some of the factors considered during the seismic engineering process include: 

• At-grade and above-grade elevation
• Redundancy and seismic response coefficient
• Design spectral response acceleration specs
• Connection rotational capacity
• Displacement and separation
• Vertical distribution of seismic forces
• Horizontal shear distribution
• Overturning
• Concurrent forces

This information and all other pertinent data can be discovered through prelim drawings and ground-level survey completion. Seismic-engineered racking will also have a thicker baseplate that will allow ground-level anchoring of columns. 

You Can’t Spell “Seismic” without WOI

The professionals at WOI are ready to help you ensure your pallet racking is designed to meet all seismic engineering requirements to keep your employees, equipment, inventory, and facility safe through all events. We offer decades of experience and a team of experienced and qualified professionals to help you get the job done. With our 5-Step Total Satisfaction Experience™, WOI guarantees that we will 1. Listen to your needs, 2. Execute your project with special attention to your unique application, 3. Stick to project timelines, 4. Ensure a safe environment, and 5. Pay close attention to the appearance of the finished product. 

The WOI team will walk you through each stage of the process and provide expert customer service to deliver great results and peace of mind. Contact a member of our team today, and let’s chat or Zoom. Call (865) 540-4004 for a prompt response. We proudly serve customers in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeast.