Seismic safety in warehouses: New standards aim to minimize risk and damage

Some of the newer seismic-centric racking rules, regulations and standards are R-Mark 2.0 and ANSI MH16.1-2023, plus the updated 2024 International Building Code (IBC). The first is a Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) certification program that ensures the safety, reliability and performance of storage rack systems, particularly in seismic-prone areas. It requires manufacturers to adhere to stringent standards and submit comprehensive applications and test data.

Introduced last year, ANSI MH16.1-2023 introduces a more comprehensive, sophisticated method for analyzing the stability of storage racks in seismic environments of varying intensity. “This is crucial for ensuring the safety of both the stored items and personnel,” RMI states. “These checks typically involve analyzing the ability of the storage rack’s design and configuration to withstand seismic forces. Those forces can include both lateral and vertical loads.”

The 2024 IBC update also includes updated wind, earthquake and snow load provisions. Key changes include the further refinement of seismic design standards to reflect the latest research on ground motion and structural resilience.

The 2024 IBC code also includes updated seismic ground motion maps for more accurate predictions for seismic activity and new requirements for structural damping. The latter improves a building’s ability to dissipate seismic energy, effectively reducing potential damage.

Chapter 16 (1603.1.5, specifically) of the IBC outlines the particular earthquake design data that must be shown on construction documents, regardless of whether seismic loads govern the design.

Amit Katumbale, director of engineering at Steel King Industries, says the IBC code changes will have an impact on the way warehouse rack and shelving are designed and that states are beginning to adopt the standard now.

“Anyone supplying rack in those states has to use the new 2024 IBC 2024 code, which references the new requirements,” says Katumbale. The new rules apply only to new installations, which will now require the updated calculation method and a more rigorous stability analysis, he adds.

Building in resilience

“Many areas are making their building rules stricter for earthquake safety. This means warehouses need to follow tougher standards for how racks are designed, anchored and built,” says Andrew Kirby, inventor of the TubeRack system, which was invented specifically for seismic safety and is sold by Nucor Warehouse Systems. TubeRack uses flexible connectors that can reduce seismic design force demands by as much as 70%.

Kirby says he’s seeing more companies conducting regular earthquake safety checks to find weak spots in the warehouse and make sure everything meets local safety rules. “It’s important to keep up with local rules about earthquake safety,” he says. “These rules often tell you how to design and set up your racks.”

Seismic considerations aren’t limited to new buildings and new rack installations. Older warehouses are being upgraded to meet today’s earthquake safety rules—a move that requires evaluating and/or replacing existing racking support systems to ensure they can handle earthquakes more effectively.

Kirby says companies are also setting up better training programs to teach employees about earthquake safety.

“This includes practice drills and tips on how to secure items and stay safe during an earthquake,” Kirby adds. Recognizing the implications of a seismic event, companies are also investing in racks that are built to handle earthquakes, with special parts like base isolators and flexible connectors that can reduce risks.

“These racks are made to stay standing during an earthquake,” Kirby says. “Also, putting heavier things on the lower shelves and using wire mesh can keep items from falling and reduce potential earthquake damage.”

Decoding seismic codes

Peter DeHaan, principal at APEX Companies, says more companies are asking for help complying with the new and changing seismic requirements and those requests are coming from areas that may not have previously been concerned about such issues.

“If you look at a general seismic map from 2010 to today, you’re seeing areas outside of California, Washington and Oregon with higher activity—areas like the Carolinas,” says DeHaan. “More data has been collected from different areas, which means we’re looking at seismic harder from the engineering perspective.”

DeHaan says RMI’s updated standards (Guideline for the Assessment and Repair or Replacement of Damaged Rack) also comes into play here and aims to help owners and operators of industrial pallet rack systems understand the proper steps for assessing, repairing and replacing damaged racks, ensuring safety and structural integrity.

The standards apply across the board (seismic and non-seismic) and in part focus on the correlation between physical spacing and frame capacities.

In response to this and other changes on the regulatory and standards front, companies like APEX have expanded their engineering capabilities and focused on reacting “a little bit faster” to customers’ rack and shelving configuration and reconfiguration requirements. DeHaan says a few OEMs have also introduced frames that can better withstand seismic activity with a focus on using brace panels as part of their rack configurations.

This innovative approach replaces more traditional methods focused on adding larger base plates and more anchors. “The idea is that as that seismic wave comes, there will be an ‘uplift and down lift’ effect on the frame that’s basically counterintuitive,” DeHaan explains. “It’s actually just making the frame ‘flex’ more, which then limits the downward forces and the uplift forces on the slab.”

Expect to see more innovation on the part of rack, shelving and mezzanine manufacturers that have to do more preliminary engineering when designing products, all with the goal of helping customers manage the evolving seismic requirements.

“You can’t just rely on capacity charts anymore when developing frames,” DeHaan adds. “You have to assess every single situation individually—something that just 10 to 15 years ago you didn’t have to do in non-seismic zones.”

Getting earthquake-ready

As he surveys the new and evolving seismic codes and regulations, Nicholas Palaio, regional sales manager at Bastian Solutions, says he’s seeing a “larger, more widespread adoption” of the seismic codes by permitting jurisdictions. Where 10 cities within a certain state strictly adhered to such codes and regulations, for example, in recent years that number has risen to 40 or 50 cities.

“Basically, with every project you’re having stricter reviews and stricter adherence to these regulations, where that wasn’t always the case,” Palaio points out.

From the manufacturer’s perspective, he says Bastian factors in all of the specifications—including the weight and size of the products that will be stored on the racks—when designing systems that meet the customer’s general requirements and comply with any seismic regulations.

During that process, Palaio says engineers are spec’ing out larger base plans; more robust styles of row spacers that didn’t exist 5 to 10 years ago; and more struts, double struts and higher gauges.

“The other thing we’re seeing that’s fairly new is the adherence to transverse and longitudinal spacing to building columns,” he adds. The standards and/or rules dictate that frames and beams can’t be placed as close to building columns as they once were, and this requires a more “spread out” layout that includes special beams and other features.

“Coming up with these layouts isn’t as streamlined as it used to be,” adds Palaio.

Planning ahead

Warehouse and DC operators investing in rack, shelving and/or mezzanines this year should be using five-year timelines when making these investments, knowing that their own operations and any regulations governing them may both shift during that time.

“If you’re not planning for [changes in] product size five years out, you may have to potentially replace your rack system,” says Palaio. “That could have significant cost and operational implications.”

Specific to seismic, Katumbale says companies should carefully match up any racking or related products to their specific facilities, knowing that this isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” project. You may need heavier, sturdier racks in one location versus another, for example, due to that facility’s specific location (seismic or non-seismic).

And don’t assume you have to be located on the West Coast to be subject to these rules; a growing number of U.S. states and municipalities are moving in this direction along with the far-reaching International Building Code.