Experimental tests on the rack-to-spine-bracing joints of high-rise steel storage racks

High-rise steel storage racks are extensively used in the warehouses. In order to avoid obstruction of the placement of the pallet goods, a spine bracing system, locates at a short horizontal distance away from the rack frame, maybe used to stabilize such high-rise racks. The spine bracing members, which are designed to be working both in tension and in compression, are commonly connected to the main rack frame through a bracket assembly, forming a rack-to-bracing joint. Recently the behaviors of four groups of three nominal identical rack-to-spine-bracing joints subjected to lateral load were experimentally established. The influences of the key design factors on the shear behavior of the joints were explicitly considered and discussed. The experimental observations indicated that the local deformation of the flange and web panels of the upright components, as well as the flexural bending of the endplate components, contributed to the overall shear deformation of the rack-to-bracing joints.