Gen2 Pallet Racking
FOR ZONES OF HIGH SEISMIC ACTIVITY
Twinlode Automation’s Gen2 is a more compliant, smarter, and stronger earthquake warehouse racking system than comparable solutions. Gen2 racking surpasses new global seismic regulations and provides significant cost savings.
Twinlode Automation has completed Gen2 installations in North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East, with some of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. The single-wide and double-wide systems satisfy the most sophisticated warehouse and exceed stringent requirements for geographic areas with the potential for high seismic activity.
Racking for High Seismic Activity Zones
An earthquake releases vibrations in the form of seismic waves, which can cause these types of damage in a warehouse:
- Financial: A warehouse incurs costs and production disruption if products and property damage occur from an earthquake. Slow or stopped operations affect the entire supply chain.
- Material: Earthquakes can cause products and racking systems to become deteriorated or broken. This damage can make it difficult to meet customer demand.
- Personnel: During an earthquake, shifting or falling products can harm warehouse workers’ safety. This risk deserves additional consideration in facilities storing heavy loads.
Earthquake warehouse racking, such as the Gen2 system by Twinlode Automation, has a robust design and heavy-duty materials to greater withstand an earthquake’s effects. These solutions are crucial in facilities located in high seismic zones. They remain stable during earthquakes, keeping inventory and workers safe while reducing financial losses.
Features of Gen2 Racking Design
Seismic racking, like Gen2, has a unique design based on the:
- Natural dynamic: For seismic racking, “dynamic” refers to how the rack moves during a disruption, such as an earthquake. The natural dynamic determines how disruption would impact the racking. Movement is based on the mass of the racking and the stored inventory and stiffness — the racking’s resistance to horizontal displacement.
- Seismic action effects: Seismic action — the speed of a surface area during seismic activity — varies by geographic location. Earthquake warehouse racking must resist seismic action while meeting requirements for the product type being stored and the storage conditions.
Since Gen2 racking is a seismic-resistant racking system, it features special design considerations to be seismic-proof. Gen2 racking meets these requirements for seismic racking:
- Unit load movement: High vibrations can cause products to slide on the beams or fall off the racking. Gen2 racking has cross ties and mesh panels on the rack beams to avoid this risk.
- Damage limitation: Gen2 racking is made to last through earthquakes. Operators are required to inspect the racking after an event to ensure it is in good condition.
- No collapse: We design Gen2 racking to remain upright and stable during seismic events.
Gen2 racking is available in single and dual-wide systems and all rack types.
Benefits of Gen2 Racking
Gen2 racking offers many advantages for warehouses, including:
- Advanced construction: Gen2’s innovative new design reduces seismic engineering requirements. The closed tube structural system decreases the slab uplift design conditions facilities must meet while offering peak impact resistance.
- Flexible configuration: The Twinlode Automation Gen2 provides flexibility for reconfiguration, moving, and expansion at lower costs compared to conventional racking systems due to its modular design.
- High storage density: Gen2 better utilizes space by eliminating an upright for every pallet position. Compared to similar four-high designs, Gen2 improves storage density by up to 35%.
- Minimized product damage: Gen2 racking can withstand seismic activity, which helps keep products in place. With racking solutions not designed for this application, the racks could collapse and damage the products.
- Low overall cost of ownership: Our earthquake warehouse racking solutions have low ownership costs, and the modular design minimizes shipping costs.
Gen2 Racking Applications
Warehouses in areas that experience high seismic activity need seismic-resistant racking structures such as Gen2. This type of racking is reinforced to resist the ground motion that occurs during earthquakes.
We have the resources to help a facility determine whether they need this specialized racking by evaluating the area’s seismic activity. Since regions located closer to the boundaries of tectonic plates experience more earthquakes, facilities in these high-seismic areas would benefit the most from Gen2 seismic-resistant racking.
According to the USGS, these areas of the United States have the highest earthquake hazards due to their fault-slip rates and seismicity:
- California
- Kentucky
- Montana
- Nevada
- Illinois
- Hawaii
- Missouri
- Washington
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Wyoming
- Arkansas
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Oregon
GEN2 racking provides increased protection and compliance for zones of high seismic activity.
Other Pallet Rack Solutions
Other Racking Solutions
Contact Us About Earthquake Warehouse Racking
Gen2 racking in warehouses keeps pallets stabilized during high seismic activity. Our single-wide and double-wide systems offer high storage density and a low cost of ownership. Twinlode Automation has years of experience installing Gen2 and other racking solutions in warehouses. We also provide professional services such as implementation, design, and consultation.
Contact us online for more information about our earthquake warehouse racking options.