1 They are:

Size the Product

Measure the width and depth of your pallet.

Note the weight of your pallets and how many pallet you will be putting on each shelf

Special Note : Click on any of the illustrations below for an enlarged detailed view

2 Selecting the beam and upright size:

Beams

Select the required length. This is the actual open length ( called Span - see Step 1 photo) needed to store the pallets on. Note this IS NOT the overall end to end length of the beam itself.

Determine the capacity needed.

This will be the max. weight of the heaviest pallet you want to store times the number of pallet that will be put on each shelf. ( example: 2000# is heaviest pallet being stores X two pallets = 4000# capacity per shelf beam needed. Beam height corresponds to capacity. Inherently, the taller the beam more capacity it will hold. ( example: a 96" long x 5" high beam will inherently will hold more weight and have a higher holding capacity than a 96" long X 4" beam of the same model and make of pallet rack. Depending on how much overhang the product being stored on the pallets has, you will want to leave at least 2 inches or more room between each pallet and between the pallet and the upright frame to allow easy storage and retrieval of pallets from your pallet racks. ( see step 2 photo).

3 Upright Frames

Select the required height as determined by the top shelf level desired.

Select the required frame width. This should be be the same depth of the material being stored is using pallet racking with wire decks or a minimum of 6" shorter than the pallet depth when wire decks are being used.

Determine the capacity needed, column sizes are related to capacity. A standard 3 x 1 5/8 column inherently hold between 15,000 to 18,000# of warehouse racking depending on manufacturer. Call your rack supplier for the capacity of the rack they represent for exact capacities. 3x3" column upright frames are rated for 24,000 to 30,000 lbs. capacity and are used for storing heavier loads.

4 Add it up

Determine the number of beams and uprights you will need based on the sizing and the spacing from steps one and two. View the illustration on step 3 for and example of different configurations based on locations against walls, isles etc.