Characterization of the seismic behavior of steel pallet racks in cross-aisle direction

Abstract

Stability of steel storage racks in the cross-aisle direction is typically ensured by cold-formed steel bolted upright frames with diagonal bracing. Accurately determining the shear behavior of these frames is essential for a proper seismic design and stability of the rack. In this paper, an experimental study of cross-frames designed to resist earthquake action is summarized. Structures are tested under transverse loading representative of the earthquake action, in static and cyclic conditions, with the objective of assessing the actual shear stiffness, shear resistance and deformation capacity of a set of earthquake-resistant cross-frames with different bracing configurations. The work is part of a larger research project called Seisracks2 (Storage Racks in Seismic Areas) carried out at European level.