Experimental and analytical studies on the behavior of connections between high-rise braced steel storage racks and the spine bracing

The primary lateral load resisting system of the high-rise braced steel storage racks is the spine bracing located at a short distance away from the rear rack frames. The connections between the rack frames and spine bracing, which transmit the horizontal stabilizing forces, dictate the effectiveness of the spine bracing and the global performance of the entire high-rise racking system. The first part of this paper experimentally establishes the behavior of the connections between the racks and the spine bracing under lateral loads, utilizing four groups of three nominally identical test specimens. A digital image correlation (DIC) measurement system is employed to generate comprehensive data associated with the behavior of individual components of such connections. The behavior of the connection components is quantified and discussed based on the three-dimensional deformation field recorded by the DIC system. The second part of this paper develops a component-based elastic analytical model for the connections between the racks and the spine bracing under consideration. The endplate spatial flexural bending mechanism, as well as the upright cross-section distortional behavior, are explicitly considered by the analytical model. The contributions of each individual component towards the total deformation of the connections are quantified. The paper concludes with design and construction recommendations for the enhancement of the connections between the racks and the spine bracing, while recognizing the limitations of this research.