Attach pallet racking to pole barn?

[FTG-05]

I'm installing some pallet racking to the outside of my pole barn, see pics below. In reading on pallet racking, the recommendation is to not attach to the wall unless you exceed a 6 to 1 ratio of height vs depth. Mine are 10' high and 42" wide for a ratio of around 3 to 1. However, mine are not bolted to a concrete floor like most pallet racking; I have it sitting on 2x4/concrete blocks, which in turn simply lay on the ground.

I would like to attach the pallet racking to my 6x6 pole on the end of the pole barn for stability and safety.

Comments, suggestions, etc.?

Thanks,

 

[FTG-05]

Also, I was given a bag of these safety bolts or pins. However, the people I got the pallet racking made no mention of where to install them.

They should go in the hole in the middle front of the beam, yes? See pic below.

Should I use those even though the beams already have a locking pin - see pic, it's just to the right of the upright and left of the label.

Thanks,

 

[nadogail]

If your pallet racking is just sitting on blocks that lay on the soil, it will need all the help it can get. Tie it off to the most staible thing you can find; it is impossible to be too safe.

 

[Dustball]

I wouldn't fasten the racking directly to the building due to potential settling of the blocks over the long term. Use short pieces of chain or wire rope at the top to prevent tipping over.

 

[firebirdparts]

I would certainly attach it. I don't want to get kilt.

 

[gungatim]

LGR

 

[FTG-05]

I wouldn't fasten the racking directly to the building due to potential settling of the blocks over the long term. Use short pieces of chain or wire rope at the top to prevent tipping over.

That's not a bad idea. I like it!

 

[KSJeff]

I use these clips on my racking instead of the J hooks. An I too would suggest tethering it. It's going to settle.

 

[FTG-05]

I use these clips on my racking instead of the J hooks. An I too would suggest tethering it. It's going to settle.

Do you have the side pins like mine does? Should I use both?

 

[sick467]

I'm with Dustball and FTG...Those racks will do some settling and pull/push on your building if loaded heavily and firmly anchored to the building. Ideally, you need to cure the settling possibilities, but I understand budgets don't always make for the best design. Slightly loose safety chains to prohibit tipping and a seasonal check for settling is in order.

 

[abachman]

I would not attach them to the horizontal planks unless the planks were bolted completely through. Otherwise it is just false security that they are actually helping to hold up the racks.

 

[KSJeff]

Do you have the side pins like mine does? Should I use both?

I have the same looking racks you have - mine are SteelKing. I don't use any of the pins - just the clips. My beams are 9ft and I have 42x52 wire decking.

You just drop the pin in a hole that includes the shelf and end. Like this:

 

[Dustball]

Also, I was given a bag of these safety bolts or pins. However, the people I got the pallet racking made no mention of where to install them.

They should go in the hole in the middle front of the beam, yes? See pic below.

Should I use those even though the beams already have a locking pin - see pic, it's just to the right of the upright and left of the label.

Thanks,

Mine have integrated spring loaded pins like this-

Looks like yours would be inserted then pivoted downwards till the head is flush to the beam.

 

[Mainiac Mat]

I've been involved with setting up warehouses and getting pallet racking installed (once with the code guys looking over our shoulder) and think it really depends what you're going to put on the racking and how stable your ground is.

If it was me, I'd probably borrow my neigbor's post hole digger and pour some footings with sonotube and Quick-crete.... then bolt the racking down with Red Heads (expansion bolts).

If there's enough force to topple the racking, there might be enough force to damage your pole barn.

 

[larry_g]

Chains tethered to the building will help but on further thinking I would suggest that you get a U shaped strap that bolts to the building and goes around the vertical member. This will allow up and down movement of the rack but will restrain any movement from vertical. If your restraining to the girts then make sure that the girts are more than nailed to posts. No good to tie down the pallet rack to a girt that will just pull out with a couple of nails.

That said; no way in hell would I use those precast blocks to support weight in the manner you are doing. They will crack and crumble with the point load you are placing on them.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[BukitCase]

Gotta agree with Larry on those blocks, BTDT -

Also, what's your soil like?

Ours is clay, supports roughly 1 ton per square foot (if it's DRY) - so until we get enough $$$$ to do a 48x60 pole building with a slab, two of my containers are sitting on "pylons" I fabbed - bases are 5 square feet each, cut from 3/4" plate (plus whatever I had to add for level, since the site is NOT (yet)

The sketch is what I HOPE to end up with.

So far, so good - it'd be better if there was a CHEEP way to divert our 8 months of rain SOMEWHERE ELSE

Point is, besides crumbling under point load (and depending on how loaded your racks will be) you might ALSO want a bigger footprint... Steve

 

[Crawlin]

I vote for post holes and some sonotubes. They don't have to be that deep, maybe buy the 4' long ones cut them in half and put them flush with grade. Not going to cost that much and add piece of mind. I hate attaching anything to a building but that's me.

 

[matt_i]

It doesn't even need to be that exotic. If you can carve out a foot square/foot deep and pour it full, it can be earth-formed without the 'tube. The challenge would be getting all 4 level (on the same level plane) but there's always metal spacer plates (shims) if it gets out of hand. After the concrete cures you can use wedge anchors or Kwik Bolts.

 

[jblnut]

Years back I laid down a treated 6x6 post under each pallet racking upright and lag bolted them down. The posts are a touch above ground level and have been holding thousands of pounds of skid loader buckets just fine for over a decade now. The racking is all about a foot from a steel sided hay shed and they were set in relatively soft clay that gets gross when wet. No issues so far.

Just another easy idea I guess

 

[Farmall450]

Also, I was given a bag of these safety bolts or pins. However, the people I got the pallet racking made no mention of where to install them.

They should go in the hole in the middle front of the beam, yes? See pic below.

Should I use those even though the beams already have a locking pin - see pic, it's just to the right of the upright and left of the label.

Thanks,

Yes, drop it through that hole so that it sits flush.

 

[FTG-05]

I would not attach them to the horizontal planks unless the planks were bolted completely through. Otherwise it is just false security that they are actually helping to hold up the racks.

The horizontal planks barely hold themselves; there will be nothing attached to them. Any attachment will be some form of chain or cable to the 6x6 vertical columns.

These pallet racks are going to be used to:

- store 3ph implements on the lower/bottom level
- FEL implements on the 2nd level
- saw milled lumber on the 2nd and upper racks for drying

Thanks for the comments!

 

[FTG-05]

Chains tethered to the building will help but on further thinking I would suggest that you get a U shaped strap that bolts to the building and goes around the vertical member. This will allow up and down movement of the rack but will restrain any movement from vertical. If your restraining to the girts then make sure that the girts are more than nailed to posts. No good to tie down the pallet rack to a girt that will just pull out with a couple of nails.

That said; no way in hell would I use those precast blocks to support weight in the manner you are doing. They will crack and crumble with the point load you are placing on them.

lg
no neat sig line

That statement worries me a bit. Most of the blocks have 2x4's over them between the concrete block and the pallet racking footing. I got the idea to use the concrete blocks from my cousin's husband. I specifically asked him about the concrete blocks and he said they had been fine since he put them up. However, I'm not sure his are as weighted down as mine will be.

More thinking required.