PALLET RACKING WEIGHT CAPACITY CALCULATIONS

Because of pallet rack safety regulations in North America and growing demand for greater warehouse safety, it is required to have and display the beam load capacity of your racks. Any adjustments made to the configuration of a rack, such as a change in beam or displacement in height, must be reviewed by a racking specialist before it is put back to use. Damotech offers load capacity calculation and certification services performed by qualified engineers with expertise in industrial pallet racking systems.

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Load capacity label on a pallet rack beam

Why are pallet rack weight capacity calculations required?

Knowing and displaying your pallet rack load capacities is critical to the safe operation of your warehouse. However, many facilities don’t have their original rack design and configuration drawings (LARCS). Hence no accurate or verified beam weight capacity ratings are displayed for forklift drivers to see. When a beam's height is adjusted, a beam is removed, or a beam is replaced with another beam with different specifications, the weight capacity of each beam in the system must be recalculated. Our weight capacity calculation services are meant to determine the maximum beam capacity of any rack system through the use of sophisticated modeling and calculations. We will produce all the required labels or plaques required to properly display weight capacities for your racking systems.

Damotech Engineers working on load capacities

How to determine load capacity of pallet rack?

Our engineering services consist of first collecting the necessary measurements of your racking systems. Then, we determine the load capacity of each upright and beam, issuing a weight capacity report and providing pallet rack beam capacity plaques and labels or rack capacity plaques identifying the maximum load capacities of each bay. The entire process is non-disruptive to your warehouse operations.

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Load Capacity Graphics from Damotech Software

Pallet rack beam capacity labels and plaques

Our engineers will produce a pallet racking weight capacity report containing drawings and the load capacity of each rack bay and beam level.

The report includes:

  • Summary warehouse layouts of the targeted systems.
  • Information about the racks' configuration, load capacity, and calculation results.
  • Rack capacity labels or plaques for displaying the maximum weight capacity of the systems, meeting the OSHA rack capacity labeling requirements.

Engineer's advice on rack safety

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Damotech's in-house engineers are among the most knowledgeable in the industry. They offer expert engineering services focused exclusively on warehouse racking systems and their safety. Learn more about our rack audit, load capacity calculation, and warehouse safety training services.

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Rack Weight Capacity Benefits

Warehouse Employee Safety

Having racking beam capacities calculated and always displayed near your racking systems ensures forklift drivers have the right information to make safe decisions.

Professional Engineers

All our beam weight calculations and racking drawings are performed and stamped by professional engineers.

Quick Report Delivery

Rack load calculation reports are typically delivered less than a month after receiving the purchase order.

Racking Seismic Expertise

The racking load weight calculations produced by Damotech engineers take into account your warehouse location and seismic effects on pallet racks.

North American Network

No matter where you are in the United-States or Canada, no matter the size of your warehouse, Damotech can provide you with pallet rack weight capacities in record time.

Most Trusted Rack Engineers

Top-performing large (and small) corporations trust Damotech's engineering professionals with the safety of their rack systems.

FAQ on rack weight capacity

Is it mandatory to have rack load capacities displayed on each beam?
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No, capacity labels are not necessary on each beam. The American and Canadian building codes refer to the rack design standards in which it is indicated that individual beam load capacity weights must be clearly displayed on racks. Neither code imposes a method for communicating load capacity but labels on each bay or load capacity plaques at the end of aisles are most common.

Is it possible to have pallet rack beam capacity plaques or labels even if we often have to move beams around?
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Yes, it is possible if the chart is signed by an engineer for your specific site. General load capacity charts published by the OEM cannot take into account seismic effects. Therefore, such a chart must be built for your specific rack configurations and location.

How should I use weight capacity labels or plaques?
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There are several ways to communicate the weight capacity of a racking system. We suggest placing labels on the first beam elevation, ideally near eye level, since it allows for varying weight load capacity throughout a rack system. When the racks are uniformly designed, rack load capacity plaques can be displayed at the end of aisles and in tunnels.

Which type of modifications will affect the capacity of a racking system? And which modifications won't?
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Did you know that a change in a beam elevation will affect the load capacity of other beams? Therefore, in most jurisdictions in North America, any change to a rack must be reviewed by a racking specialist before being put into service again. That is because some seemingly minor changes may negatively impact the racking system's performance. Removing a beam or replacing a beam with different specs will also the weight capacity of your racking. Replacing a beam with an identical one (same size and specs) will not affect the racking systems' weight capacity.

My warehouse is in a seismic region. How does that affect the load capacity of my pallet racks?
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There are no regions that are not seismic. It’s just that some regions experience so very small tremors that other load effects control the design of the racking system. If your warehouse is located in a high seismic zone like the east and west coasts of North America (U.S. and Canada) or near Memphis, you have more reasons to maintain the safety (and structural integrity) of your racks as the horizontal movement during a seismic event will generate substantially more loads on your rack systems than other regions.

What are LARCs or PSR? Do I need them?
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LARC stands for Load Application and Rack Configuration. These are stamped engineering drawings (often referred to as CAD drawings) of the rack systems in your warehouse. Typically, the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) provides these when installing the new racking systems. If racks are reconfigured after the initial installation, new LARCs with weight capacities must be produced by an engineer.

A PSR stands for Pre-Start Health and Safety Review. In some jurisdictions in North America, any modification to a pallet rack system must be reviewed by a knowledgeable rack expert before it is put back into use.

Why is pricing not listed on your website?
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It’s not that we want to skirt around the subject of pricing. We like to know what things cost, too.

We tailor our inspection and weight capacity calculation services to a customers’ specific needs. We inspect facilities large and small, and repair damage anywhere in the United States or Canada. Consequently, our pricing factors geographic location, warehouse size, and environment (freezers, cold storage, exterior, ...), to offer a detailed quote and avoid any surprises.

To get more information on pricing; request a free quote or call 1-877-990-3266 and let us demonstrate the value of the engineering services we provide.

What's a load capacity chart?
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A load capacity chart indicates how much load a manufacturer’s beams and uprights can support depending on a few conditions like:
  • Beam size and span
  • Connector size
  • Column dimensions and gauge
  • Max unsupported column span
Be careful using those and read the small characters at the bottom of the chart. They indicate that the chart does not take into account all possible loads like seismic forces and that all components must be compatible and come from the same manufacturer. Also, to respect the building code, a professional engineer must certify the racks for load capacity. The charts only provide indications of which products to buy.
Does Damotech use load capacity charts for their engineering mandates?
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No, for several reasons. Damotech provides stamped engineering reports that cannot simply rely on published documents that are themselves not stamped by engineers. Since load capacity charts don’t include all required loads, Damotech proceeds with the calculation of all rack component mechanical properties based on actual onsite dimensions, applies all loads required by code, and determines acting forces and the resistance of each component.
Does Damotech provide load capacity charts?
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No. As rack design codes evolve, so do the calculations. Some manufacturers have gone out of business, and therefore, their old capacity charts may not be adequate anymore. Current manufacturers publish load capacity charts, but they are used only to provide indications of which products to buy. Ultimately, a professional engineer must validate the racks.
female pallet rack inspector

Load Capacity Experts

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