During past earthquakes, such as the 2012 Emilia Earthquake in Italy, many steel storage pallet racks were damaged or collapsed. Low costs and short time are generally required to retrofit or re-built steel storage racks; however, the loss related to the stored goods, the logistic issues, and the downtime after severe damage or collapse can lead to huge economic consequences. Typically, the steel storage racks are composed of cold-formed open cross-section members and semi-rigid connections; moreover, they are characterized by long periods of vibration and are often sensitive to P-delta effects. To take into account the peculiarities of storage racks and to ensure seismic safety, the International racks' standards specify different approaches for seismic analysis. This paper compares the seismic performance of steel storage racks designed according to force-based approaches suggested by the International codes. A typical steel storage rack configuration has been selected as case study. The seismic analyses were performed in the down-aisle direction. Detailed numerical models that consider both geometric and material nonlinearity were developed. The most suitable strategy to be adopted for seismic performance assessment.
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF STEEL STORAGE PALLET RACKS USING DIFFERENT SEISMIC ANALYSIS APPROACHES
Chalarca, Bryan;Gabbianelli, Giammaria
2025-01-01
Abstract
During past earthquakes, such as the 2012 Emilia Earthquake in Italy, many steel storage pallet racks were damaged or collapsed. Low costs and short time are generally required to retrofit or re-built steel storage racks; however, the loss related to the stored goods, the logistic issues, and the downtime after severe damage or collapse can lead to huge economic consequences. Typically, the steel storage racks are composed of cold-formed open cross-section members and semi-rigid connections; moreover, they are characterized by long periods of vibration and are often sensitive to P-delta effects. To take into account the peculiarities of storage racks and to ensure seismic safety, the International racks' standards specify different approaches for seismic analysis. This paper compares the seismic performance of steel storage racks designed according to force-based approaches suggested by the International codes. A typical steel storage rack configuration has been selected as case study. The seismic analyses were performed in the down-aisle direction. Detailed numerical models that consider both geometric and material nonlinearity were developed. The most suitable strategy to be adopted for seismic performance assessment.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
