INVESTIGATION OF THE TEST METHOD FOR DISTORTIONAL BUCKLING OF COMPRESSED PALLET RACK MEMBERS

An investigation of the test methods for distortional buckling of perforated pallet rack members subjected to compression is presented. One of the key points of this test is the length of the specimen. According to the AISI Test Standard S910-08, the specimen length should be sufficiently short to minimize overall column effects, and sufficiently long to minimize end effects during loading. The aim of the investigation is to set a procedure for determining the specimen length according to this condition. Four different pallet rack sections are analysed and tested. Testing lengths are chosen from results of finite element linear buckling analyses and Direct Strength Method calculations. Distortional buckling was expected to be the dominant failure mode for some of the specimens tested. However, in the end, all experimental failures showed a significant participation of global buckling modes. The paper presents a discussion on the specimen behaviour observed in the tests, and some considerations concerning the effect of end support conditions on the experimental results.