Short answer
Racking is chosen from the load per level and per bay, the pallet or item dimensions, the usable building height, the forklift in use and the aisle width it requires. Available floor dimensions alone are never enough.
Start from loads, not dimensions
The first mistake is measuring the room and filling it. Racking is a load-bearing structure: the maximum weight per product, the load per level and the total load per bay determine the upright section, beam type and number of possible levels. An 800 kg pallet and a 1,200 kg pallet do not call for the same range.
Light, medium or heavy duty
Light-duty racking (G30, steel shelving) suits hand-handled products: spare parts, archives, consumables. Medium-duty (G60) takes boxes, bins and small pallets, with accessories such as dividers for tyres or glazing. Heavy-duty (G100, G120, G140) is for pallets and bulky loads handled by forklift.
The forklift dictates the aisle
A counterbalance truck needs a 3.2 to 3.6 m aisle; a reach truck 2.6 to 2.9 m; a turret truck 1.6 to 1.9 m. The truck therefore sets the achievable storage density, and vice versa. Settle this before any layout plan.
Usable height and lift height
The top level is limited by the clear height under sprinklers or roof structure, minus a safety margin, and by the forklift's lift height. A 10 m building with a truck lifting to 7 m cannot use its height; a mezzanine or multi-level racking may then be more profitable.
Rotation and number of SKUs
Many slow-moving SKUs call for conventional pallet racking with direct access to every location. Few fast-moving SKUs justify denser solutions: drive-in, live or mobile racking.
Protection and load plate
In forklift traffic areas, upright protectors, corner protectors and aisle-end barriers are essential. Every installation must carry a load plate stating the limits per level and per bay, in line with EN 15512 and the manufacturer's specifications.
