Optimized shelf uprights through the use of high-strength steels

Expanding online trade and limited space capacity characterize warehouse technology worldwide. Despite these increased requirements, the technical design of racking structures has hardly changed. The potential of modern high-strength steel is not fully exploited in modern warehouse technology, due to the lack of scientific studies, although thin-walled cold-formed sections, in particular rack uprights, are predestined for the use of high-strength steel. The research project presented in this paper dealt with the development of manufacturing and design fundamentals for the use of high-strength steel in shelving. For this purpose, the properties of various complex-phase steels, dual-phase steels and high-strength structural steels were first tested with regard to their material and forming behavior. Demonstrator uprights were then manufactured from best suitable high-strength steel. The cross-sectional thickness of the demonstrator uprights made of high-strength steels was reduced in such a way that comparable load-bearing capacities could be achieved with similar components made from steels currently used on the market. To analyse the highly complex stability behavior of thin-walled cold-formed steel sections, the demonstrator uprights were investigated in compression tests with regard to the load-bearing capacity, the governing failure modes and the utilization of the high-strength steel. In addition, numerical parameter studies were used to further optimize the cross-sections for the use of high-strength steel. It could be shown that by using high-strength steel material saving and thus sustainable and economical cross-sections of the rack uprights in shelving can be achieved.