At Advanced Handling & Storage, we’re known as the pallet racking people. Therefore, we understand the importance of measuring and configuring pallet racking components to ensure the safety, system functionality, and structural capacity of your system are all sound.

No matter whether you are starting your pallet racking system from scratch, adding more to an existing system, or are repairing damaged components; we have the tips to help you measure and configure your components to ensure they fit adequately.

To get started, it’s important to know the type of pallet racking you will be measuring and configuring. Use our helpful guide to identify which type of racking you have.

How to measure your system

The beam width is also known as ‘clear entry’ or ‘bay width’. Generally, this is measured from the inside of the upright to the inside of the upright.

If you are purchasing a new pallet racking system, your bay width will largely be decided by your pallet size. At Advanced Handling & Storage, the most common sizes we see are 2700mm and 3300mm but can be any size you require. 

Beams are designed to take loads of various weights and sizes, this is why it is important that you know the kind of weight you will be storing on the beam. This is measured as the total load per pair of beams, for example if you have 2 pallets per beam that each weigh 1000kgs, your SWL/UDL will be 2000kgs. 

The best way to measure a beam duty is to measure the height and depth of the beam. Each manufacturer differs, therefore knowing the correct system is crucial.

The frame height is then measured from the top of the frame to the base plate. The depth is measured from the outside of the front upright post to the outside of the rear upright post. 

It is also important to know the upright/post duty. This is dependent on the load being stored on the beams, how many beam levels you have, and the height of the first beam level.

How to configure your system

A pallet racking storage system consists of upright frames and beams that are connected to store several levels of pallet loads. Two columns with a series of vertical and horizontal struts are used to create the uprights.

The duty of the frame is dependent on the duty of the beams and how many beam levels per bay. You will need to know the beam pitch/height of each level, which can be determined by a number of factors, such as how many items you are storing, what material handling equipment you are using, and the size of the products you are storing.

When it comes to recording the measurements for your system, it is important to know that the rear and front columns on an upright can differ, so we recommend measuring both columns.

Starting with a single bay, you can configure your pallet racking however you like. Although there will be some limitations, you can continue adding on bays to make it whatever length you require for your storage space.

There is also the ability to stand the racking back to back so you can access each side.

Starter Bay – Consists of 2 frames and X amount of beams (dependent on the amount of beam levels you require) 

Add-On Bay – This consists of 1 frame and X amount of beams (the same amount of beams as there is on the starter bay)

Contact us on 0800 345 7088 to discuss your storage needs or get advice on measuring and configuring racking components. Alternatively, or email [email protected]. 

With us, support continues after the sale, and we strive to form strong customer relationships, providing you with dedicated advisors you can contact for any advice.