Posts by Jordan Tlumak
How to Select the Right Pallet Rack Connectors for Your Warehouse (And Avoid Costly Mistakes)
Most warehouse managers don’t think about beam connectors until something goes wrong. By then, you’re dealing with an expansion stalled for weeks because new beams won’t fit your existing uprights, failed inspections because safety clips are missing, or a beam that came loose during loading because nobody installed the locking device. These problems happen every…
Read MoreUnderstanding and Pallet Rack Beam Deflection
You’re inspecting your warehouse and spot a pallet rack beam that’s bowed more than the others. You wonder: Is this safe? Is it within code? Do I need to shut down this aisle? If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Beam deflection—the downward bending of horizontal rack beams under load—is a top concern for warehouse…
Read MoreSeismic Design for Pallet Racks: What You Need to Know
When it comes to warehouse safety, designing pallet racks for the applicable seismic requirements is essential. No AHJ will grant permits for racks that aren’t designed for seismic, and no rack is safe without considering seismic requirements either. In this guide, we’ll walk through the why, what, and how of seismic rack design, including pallet…
Read MoreThe Most Common Reasons for Pallet Rack Permit Rejections (That You Can Actually Prevent)
No warehouse manager expects their rack permit to get rejected. Yet permit offices reject rack applications every single day for the same predictable reasons. Drawing errors, calculation mistakes, and code oversights turn straightforward approvals into months-long delays. Your timeline is shot, costs are climbing, and you’re back to square one, all because of mistakes that…
Read MoreThe Complete Guide to Overstrength Factor for Pallet Racks (That Can Avoid a Disaster At Your Warehouse)
No warehouse manager wants a surprise failure. You should be confident your pallet racks meet the structural and seismic requirements. Yet in a real quake, a 30-foot system can buckle if anchorage and detailing aren’t right. Your people are at risk, your product is at risk—and the cause is often a missed item: the overstrength…
Read MoreWarehouse Rack Layout: 5 Moves to Maximize Space, Fulfill Picks Faster, and Increase Safety
Coming up with a rack layout for your warehouse is hard, plain and simple. One aisle at the wrong width, or choosing the wrong rack type can jam up your operations, waste thousands of square feet, and create costly compliance issues. But…the right layout gets you more space, helps you and your team move faster,…
Read MoreWhat Makes a Rack Engineer Trustworthy?
In the pallet rack world, trust is everything. A rack system isn’t just a collection of steel frames and beams—it’s the backbone of your operation, holding thousands of pounds of product above workers, equipment, and aisles of activity. One mistake from the engineer behind that system can mean costly downtime, safety violations, or worse. Over…
Read MoreWhen Do You Need Stamped Drawings for a Pallet Rack? The Simple Guide
If you’re asking whether your pallet rack project needs stamped drawings, the short answer is: you probably do—and in truth, you probably always should. A stamped drawing isn’t just a piece of paper to satisfy the building department. It’s proof that a licensed engineer has personally designed, checked, and approved your rack system. That stamp…
Read MoreHow to Create the Lightest Pallet Rack: Design Principles That Save Steel and Cost
When it comes to pallet racking, lighter isn’t just better—it’s smarter. Whether you’re a rack manufacturer, integrator, or structural engineer, designing the lightest possible rack for your client’s capacity requirements means saving on material, freight, and installation costs. But hitting that sweet spot—safe, code-compliant, and efficient—isn’t easy. Historically, engineers had to rely on personal judgment…
Read MoreHow to Assess Warehouse Pallet Racks
In any warehouse environment, pallet racks are critical to operational efficiency. But when they’re damaged they become a major safety hazard. Assessing pallet racks is more than just good housekeeping; it’s risk management. And the best way to protect your team, your inventory, and your bottom line is by proactively identifying rack damage, classifying its…
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