Pallet Racking

Pallet racking is a bolted or clip-together steel structure that stores palletized loads in vertical bays. Get the upright, beam, and decking selection right and the system carries your loads safely for decades. Get it wrong and you end up with bays that will not accept your pallets, beams that deflect, or a rack that fails inspection.

Material Handling USA supplies new pallet racking nationwide from Salt Lake City, and we specify every system against your actual pallet dimensions, load weights, forklift type, and building conditions. This page covers the components and specifications. If you are still deciding which type of system you need, start with our pallet rack systems guide.

Selective pallet racking — the most common configuration

Upright Frames

Two columns joined by horizontal and diagonal braces, welded into a frame and anchored to the slab. The frame carries the full load of every beam level in the bay, so upright capacity — not beam capacity — is usually the limiting factor.

Horizontal Load Beams

Roll-formed step beams or box beams that hook into the upright column and lock with a safety clip or pin. Step beams have a lip that supports wire decking flush with the top of the beam.

Wire Decking

Welded wire mesh panels that sit on the beams, giving pallets and cartons a continuous surface, letting sprinkler water through, and keeping debris from falling into the aisle below.

Row Spacers & Wall Ties

Tie back-to-back rows together at the correct flue spacing, and tie single rows to the building structure where the layout calls for it.

Footplates & Anchors

Each column sits on a footplate anchored into the concrete. Anchor size, embedment, and slab thickness all factor into the engineering.

Column Protectors & Guards

Bolt-on or wrap-around guards at the base of each upright absorb forklift impact where the vast majority of rack damage happens.

Most jurisdictions and most insurers want open wire decking rather than solid plywood, because it lets sprinkler water reach the loads below. Wire decking also stops small cartons and debris from dropping into the aisle.

Deck Choices

• Waterfall wire deck — the mesh bends over the front and back beams, locking the deck in place.
• Flush wire deck — sits inside the beams for a level surface, used with step beams.
• Solid steel deck — for small parts and spill containment, where sprinkler rules allow it.
• Pallet supports — cross bars instead of full decking, for pallets only.
• Timber or particle board — lowest cost, but usually restricted by fire code in sprinklered buildings.

Wire decking installed on step beams

Site & Load Review

We collect pallet dimensions, load weights, forklift type, slab thickness, ceiling and sprinkler heights, and your throughput targets.

Layout & Engineering

You get a stamped layout showing aisle widths, bay sizes, flue spacing, capacities, and anchor detail.

Quote & Lead Time

A fixed quote covering racking, decking, accessories, freight, and installation, with the current lead time.

Install & Inspect

Our crews install, anchor, plumb, and level the system, then walk it with you before handoff.

Seismically engineered and anchored pallet racking

Utah and the wider Intermountain West sit in a high seismic design category. Pallet racking over a certain height or load almost always requires stamped engineering and a building permit, and the local authority will want to see anchor detail, base plate sizing, and a seismic calculation for your specific configuration.

We handle the engineering and permit package as part of the project so the rack passes inspection the first time. If you are buying racking for a Utah facility, start with our Utah pallet rack page or Salt Lake City pallet rack page.