Pallet racking

[zkdiesel]

Does anybody bolt pallet racking to the floor or do you just let it free stand?
Had two 10' tall 8' sections together free standing for a while. Only top shelf and middle. Adding two 11' sections onto them, one on each side of exsisting 16' with only shelfs at the 10' mark and am wondering about stability
Going to put 2 snowmobiles, 2 sport quads and my snowplow on top
Thinking I should probably bolt it down when they are up high, esipcially for the forking of item up and down if it gets hung up, wouldn't want to tip the whole thing over.
Also the quads might have rear tires of two hanging off edge so they can both sit in a 8' section and this might make it lean some. (200 lbs hanging 18" past cross beam) between the two light banshees
The backside is tight against the wall, maybe anchor it at the 10' mark

 

[Thumper68]

In your case yes I would anchor it either to the floor/wall or both.

 

[dave89iroc]

In your case yes I would anchor it either to the floor/wall or both.

agreed

 

[dynahoe]

Can't be to safe with that setup

 

[rsanter]

Bolt them down

I don't have mine bolted down but then I don't line in an earthquake prone area and I don't use a forklift with mine

Bob

 

[Steevo]

I am originally from California, aka "quake state".
If I were still there, all of my shelving would be bolted down.
Here in ID, the last big quake pretty much wiped civilization off the map, so, I don't plan to prepare for that.

 

[Flatland Dave]

If you don't want to drill into the floor, brace to the wall.

 

[zkdiesel]

Finished making my custom length beams tonight and got my two once 42" uprights widened out to 48" and have it all installed
Fastened it to rear wall in two spots tonight with brackets, gonna get 10 3/8 concrete anchors tomorrow for one bolt per leg

 

[yossarian19]

Honestly, forklifting toys like that onto the top - I would attach it to everything I could find & then build some more **** to attach it to. But that's just me.

 

[flhtbb]

I didn't bolt mine

 

[sberry]

If it was tall would have no problem bolting it to the wall. At the top it wouldn't take a lot. I have a little steel shelf its very similar but have braces to the wall at the top.

 

[ricrey99]

Not sure if your situation requires it but in an industrial setting, OSHA requires it. We had to anchor all of ours in the warehouse.

 

[zkling]

All it takes is one mishap with the fork lift a little low and you will regret bolting them down....had to attend a safety seminar once regarding that topic. Then guess who got the job of going around installing anchors. Yep the co-op.

 

[motofool33]

All it takes is one mishap with the fork lift a little low and you will regret bolting them down....had to attend a safety seminar once regarding that topic. Then guess who got the job of going around installing anchors. Yep the co-op.

are you saying more damage will happen when they are bolted down then not bolted down?


im on the fence too about mine, i use a forklift on them and will be storing some light weight 350# atv's on them. not sure if i want to anchor or bolt to the wall or nothing.

 

[Richard D]

you will regret bolting them down

I think this is a typo, he ment you will regret NOT bolting them down.

 

[HAY YOU]

If there was only the slightest chance of the rack tipping over when putting away or removing a piece of equipment. Why would you take that chance? Bolt the rack down and at least act like you know what you are doing.

 

[zkdiesel]

If there was only the slightest chance of the rack tipping over when putting away or removing a piece of equipment. Why would you take that chance? Bolt the rack down and at least act like you know what you are doing.

I don't know if it's unstable or not yet. They are built and seem sturdy and only currently have one sled on them
I see them all the time loaded with heavy stuff and not bolted down
The way I cut everything so it fits my full way perfectly, they are gonna live there forever so I might as well secure it to ground

 

[laser3kw]

bolting to the floor will add some additional security. But with that much load that high up, the cantilever weight component will probably rip the welds apart at the foot as well as twisting the cross beams until they disconnect, when it does start to tip. I would bolt to floor and secure to wall as close to the top of each upright as possible and then maybe midway down.

 

[HAY YOU]

I don't know if it's unstable or not yet. They are built and seem sturdy and only currently have one sled on them
I see them all the time loaded with heavy stuff and not bolted down
The way I cut everything so it fits my full way perfectly, they are gonna live there forever so I might as well secure it to ground

I've only seen them bolted down. I would hate for you to take a chance and have some thing happen to you.

 

[AMCguy]

I personally would not bolt them to the floor. When bolted down, an impact low on the leg, from material handling equipment, will cause the leg to buckle. That could and most likely would bring down the entire works. If not bolted down, the whole end frame would be free to shift a little and avoid damage.

I would definitely secure the top to the building though.

 

[Rookie2]

 

[Richard D]

We have them here 20' tall, not bolted down, forklift stuff up and down all the time, and have never been afraid. I doubt you will knock it down using it at home, but bolt it down anyway, sure won't hurt.

 

[creativecars]

****! I bet that did not make any noise... And ruined a good pair of underwear.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Mine is not bolted down.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Anchors are a requirement, not an option...

Tommy

 

[zkdiesel]

bolted to wall at top in 2 spots, bolted to beams at mid height at 2 spots, and anchored to floor at all bottoms
42" into a 48" to match my exisiting ones for these two add one kits
did I mention all this stuff was free!?!
cut the angle bars out, and cut them down into my straight across braces, then doubled up the original straight across braces to form the angle braces.
was 12' now 9'

12' beams cut down to 11'3" for my custom app

can still back stuff under where the Polaris iqr is at, as I often back vehicles into that corner
snow plow temp there, but summer/winter it and the two 4 wheelers will switch with the 4 wheelers going into the second garage in the summer
other sled goes up on other empty section once yard freezes enough I can get skid loader to other building without creating crazy ruts

4 wheelers are blocked under rear of frame before swingarm which is pushing directly down on pallet racking main beams added on extensions that act like a wheel lift to lock them in is only for safety when putting them up there, also blocked under swingarm not worried about canteliever weight as there is only 60lbs or so pushing on that including the brackets. they were more so that when I put the items up there they didn't roll off while I blocked them

 

[Playwme]

Or hang chains from the roof trusses and bolt them to the top of the uprights. Still allows give at the bottom but stops tipping at the top.

 

[sberry]

I agree at least a wall tie is a good idea and maybe an anchor at a leading leg. Nice set up. I did some and after was kicking myself for not making it all a foot wider. It works.
I have a lot of room in my shop for that, simply don't need more stuff. I have been contemplating another loft/mezzanine for a while and hadn't scored a steel deal. I missed another mobile home, I would like to score some frames, now may be the time with scrap down.
Buying new is also an option with pricing down. I could easily expand the second story in part of my storage building.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Floor anchors are not intended to keep pallet racks from tipping over. They're to prevent the legs from being pushed under by a forklift or similar machine, causing the rack to collapse.

Tommy

 

[sberry]

I agree at least a wall tie is a good idea and maybe an anchor at a leading leg. Nice set up. I did some and after was kicking myself for not making it all a foot wider. It works.
I have a lot of room in my shop for that, simply don't need more stuff. I have been contemplating another loft/mezzanine for a while and hadn't scored a steel deal. I missed another mobile home, I would like to score some frames, now may be the time with scrap down.
Buying new is also an option with pricing down. I could easily expand the second story in part of my storage building.