How calculate the load carrying capacity of storage rack??

[wertyu1980]

We have build a few storage racks in the shop. I need to calculate the load carrying capacity of these racks. The quality of the welds can be assumed to be good.

Is there a formula I can use to do this? I would really appreciate your input here.

Thank you.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hire an engineer??

 

[GBor]

While I agree with MiketheEngineer, you should be able to find plenty of references to plate analyses, or you can find equations in Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain. Make some assumptions about the rigidity of the framing or assume that the "plate" (shelf) is pinned at the edges. Guesstimate a stress concentration in the corners due to geometry and either assume all of the weight loading the shelf is at the center or uniformily distributed.

Do you have a picture you can upload? And with what are you loading these shelves?

 

[eromlignod]

The ultimate empirical test is to load one until you destroy it...that is if you have an extra.

Don
Kansas City

 

[rb1957]

Is there a formula I can use to do this? ... yes

Is there a [simple] formula I can use to do this? ... no

whilst it ain't rocket science (to design a rack), it also isn't something that fits into an equation of 2 or 3 variables that someone who doesn't know what they're doing can use ... safely.

since it sounds like you know what load you need to support, you could always wander down to a hardware store and look at their racks ... they'll probably let you touch them too.

 

[dvd]

Look for sorage rack standards at the following sources:

(RMI) Rack Manufacturers Institute
(UBC) Uniform Building Code
(ANSI) American National Standards Institute

Remember that your rack capacity may be a function of the surface that the rack is installed on. Asphalt may not support the full load predicted by a stress analysis for the steel. Punch through on concrete (or asphalt) is an important factor. This may be a variable that is out of the fabricators control. It is important to pass this liability on to the end user.

Failure of a rack can cause lots of liability issues, even though a rack may only cost a few thousand.

 

[fmr110]

I think we need more information... What type of material? Where is it fixed? What are the dimensions of the rack? I imagine its made up of cross hatching pieces - what is the spacing and thickness?

Side note: Is this for an environmental health/saftey inspection?

 

[stageleft]

Oh dear,
If your asking this question now , maybe you should scrap the racks and buy some from someone knows what they are doing.

As stated previously you need to consider: materials and grade, sections, construction, height, shelf span and spacing, bracing, is the application critical, how are loads to be applied, etc etc. Usually all ths is considered first and designed with loading in mind.

If the application is critcal or there is any risk to people, or if you don't know what you're doing, get a structural engineer to check it.