Steel storage pallet racks in seismic zones: Advanced vs. standard design strategies

摘要

Steel storage pallet racks are used worldwide to efficiently store goods and products in situations where only limited space is available. Their use has increased remarkably in recent years, owing to the growing importance of the logistics services in the context of the global economy. Despite the quite limited costs of storage racks, essentially due to the extensive use of cold-formed members characterized by high levels of standardization, their safety is of paramount importance. An eventual collapse could in fact result in considerable economic losses and/or loss of human life. The design rules currently adopted, derived from those proposed for more conventional steel buildings, are unable to capture satisfactorily the overall rack response and hence need further improvements, especially for applications in seismic zones.