Systems to prevent the load resistance loss of pallet racks exposed to cyclic external force

This study aims to determine the cause of the load resistance loss in storage racks that can be attributed to external forces such as earthquakes and to improve safety by developing reinforcement systems that can prevent load resistance loss. To this end, a static cyclic loading test was performed on pallet racks commonly used in logistics warehouses. The test results indicated that a pallet rack exposed to an external force loses more than 50% of its load resistance owing to the damage caused to column-beam joints. Three reinforcement systems were developed for preventing load resistance loss in storage racks exposed to an external force and for performing differentiated target functions: column reinforcement device, seismic damper, and viscoelastic damper. Shake table testing was performed to evaluate the earthquake response and verify the performance of these reinforcement systems. The results confirmed that, the maximum displacement, which causes the loss of load resistance and the permanent deformation of racks under external force, is reduced using the developed reinforcement devices. Thus, the appropriate selection of the developed reinforcement devices by users can help secure the safety of the storage racks.