ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE TO UPRIGHTS AND BRACING MEMBERS

A 1.0 meter long straight edged gauge is placed in contact with a flat surface on the concave side of the damaged member such that the damage area lies central as near as possible to the length of the straight edge.

For an upright bent in the plane of the frame bracing, the maximum gap between the upright and straight edge should not exceed 3mm.

For an upright bent in the direction of the rack beam spans, the maximum gap between the upright and the straight edge should not exceed 5mm.

For an upright which has been damaged such that there is a simultaneous bend in both direction, the left to the right and front to back deformation shall be measured separately and the appropriate limits observed.

For bracing members bent in either plane, the gap between straight edge and bracing member should not exceed 10mm.

These rules apply only to damage, which produces an overall bend in a member, they do not apply to highly localised damage such as dents, buckles, tears and splits. Localised bends over a length of less than 1.0 meter may be judged pro-rota to the above limits. Members subjected to tears and splits should be replaced.

Frame loading capacities are governed by the configuration of beams in the bay, the number of bays in each run of racking and the design of the bracing assembly. Beam loadings are governed by the type of beam, the load placed on the beam and the deflection, which is limited to span/200. Should changes to configuration occur or loadings increase, expert advice must be sought prior to effecting the changes.