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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Learn more about our load calculation services by getting in touch with an expert.
