Does Racking Need to Be Bolted Down?
Our experienced team of technicians are experts when it comes to the design, engineering, and installation of custom storage solutions. That’s why our customers come to us for advice, and in this blog, we address one frequently asked question: does pallet racking always need to be bolted down?
Recent project: dust where drilling and bolting has taken place
Why Should I Bolt Down My Racking Units?
Bolting down pallet racking and shelving units ensures that they are secure, adding an extra level of security in the event of an earthquake or machinery collision. Pallet racking is designed to be bolted to a concrete floor and bolting them down makes up a critical element to the racking structure’s rigidity.
Securing your racking helps to mitigate a number of serious risks:
Financial Risks
In the event of racking falling over, whatever stock is being stored will likely suffer significant damage. Depending on the value of goods, you could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of inventory in a single incident.
Health and Safety
Unstable racking units also pose health and safety hazards. Impact collisions with racking from machinery such as forklifts are common in the warehousing industry. These can result in falling stock and/or racking which both pose a threat to workers, machinery, and pedestrians.
Legal Requirements
The first point to note is that the NZ Building Code considers Pallet Racking to be an integral part of the building structure. Secondly, in a BRANZ report on ‘Seismic Design of High-Level Storage Racking Systems with Public Access’, it is recommended that racking is bolted to the floor when the structure:
- Extends higher than 2m above the floor
- Has palletised material stored above this level
Our Answer
If you answer yes to any of the following points, we recommend that you bolt down your racking or shelving:
- You are using machinery to load the shelves/racks (i.e., with a forklift/EWP/reach truck/etc)
- The racking/shelving is higher than 2.4m
- The racking/shelving is holding items that exceed $1000 in value
Which Bolts Should You Use
We recommend – M12 x100mm Galv Screw Bot
If you have received a PS1 (Engineering Design) for your pallet racking structure, this will specify the type of anchor bolts to use. Otherwise, we suggest that you use a screw bolt to secure your racking. Here are some things to consider:
- Size of bolt hole on your racking/shelving – we usually supply M12 bolts where the baseplate design allows
- Depth of concrete – we usually supply 100mm bolts where the concrete slab is of sufficient depth
- Screw bolts are better than Sleeve Anchors – although more expensive, screw bolts can be de-installed much faster than sleeve anchors. This will help you avoid headaches and cost blow-outs should you want to remove the racking and anchor bolts should you want to sell your building or ‘make good’ as required by some landlords
Contact Shelving Depot Today
Our commitment to providing top-tier racking and shelving solutions for every application. Our willingness to go above and beyond to satisfy the needs of our customers have helped to establish Shelving Depot as New Zealand’s premium supplier of new and used shelving and racking. Contact us today to start finding solutions to your storage challenges
