DRIVE-IN

PALLET
RACKING

Storage by accumulation : optimal use of available space

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DRIVE-IN PALLET RACKING
• Designed for the storage of homogenous
products
• Accommodates a large number of pallets for
each SKU
• Better use of the available surface and height
space than any other system

This type of installation is made up of a set of

racking units that form inner loading aisles,
with support rails for the pallets. The forklift
trucks enter these inner aisles with their load
held higher than the level at which it is to be
deposited.
Each loading aisle has support rails on both
sides. These are arranged on different levels
and the pallets are placed on top. This racking
system is made of extremely robust material,
thus making it suitable for storing fully-loaded
pallets.

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Drive-in Pallet Racking [Link] 3
The drive-in system can accommodate as many SKU’s as there are loading aisles. The number of
pallets will depend on the depth and height of the loading aisles. It is advisable to store products with
the same SKU in each loading aisle, in order to avoid unnecessary pallet manoeuvres. The depth of
each aisle will depend on the number of pallets per SKU, the space available and the length of time
they will be stored.
As shown in the following illustrations, the drive-in system has a greater storage capacity than the
conventional pallet racking system. The illustrations show one facility with three different distributions
and capacities.

Conventional distribution
Total area for atorage: 858m2
Capacity: 306 pallets per level

Drive-in distribution
Total area for storage: 855m2
Capacity: 522 pallets per level

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Conventional pallet racking and drive-in systems
are usually combined in one warehouse. The
drive-in system is used for products with a faster
turnover.
Capacity: 383 pallets per level (200 pallets
on drive-in system and 183 pallets on
conventional pallet racking)

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LOAD MANAGEMENT ON A DRIVE-IN SYSTEM

Drive-in A
This is the most common way of managing
B
loads in a drive-insystem. The racking units
work like a warehouse depot. There is just one C
access aisle, from which loading and unloading D
are carried out in reverse order.

Loading order: A, B, C, D
Unloading order: D, C, B, A
LIFO system - the first load IN is the last one OUT

Drive-through
In this case, the load is managed using the A
racking unit as a controlling warehouse, with
B
two load access points, one on each side of the
unit. With this system, it is possible to control C
production differences, for example between D
manufacture and dispatch, between production
phase 1 and phase 2, or between production
and loading bays.
Loading order: A, B, C, D
Unloading order: A, B, C, D
FIFO system - the first load IN is the first one OUT

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Drive-in Pallet Racking [Link] 7
 Forklift trucks
The forklift trucks enter the storageaisles
with their load held higher than the level
at which it is to be deposited. Counter-
balanced forklifts and standard reach
trucks are the types used with drive-in
systems.
Unlike the conventional system, the
pallets are handled perpendicular to
their stringers. In drive-in pallet racking,
the forklift truck deposits the pallet
by resting the stringers on the support
rails. An extreme amount of pressure is
exerted on the stringers, so the pallets
used must be in very good condition.
The following illustrations show the
correct way to place the pallets.
Pallets can only be placed the other
way around if they are strong and rigid
enough, and if the weight of the load
allows it.
If the load overhangs the pallet,
dimensions A and B (the pallet
measurements) may be different to A’
and B’ (the load measurements), which
will influence the dimensions of the
racking and supports, as shown in the
pages relating to Clearances section.

YES NO

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The forklift trucks travel along the insides of
the storage aisles so the necessary margins
must be calculated in order to work safely.
Certain measurements must be taken into
account when designing an installation:
A. Total width of the forklift truck.
There must be a minimum clearance between
the forklift truck and the vertical elements
of the racking units of 75 mm on each side.
Dimension X, the distance between the
uprights, must include this.
B. Operator’s protection structure.
A minimum clearance of 50 mm to the support
rails is needed (dimension Y).
C and D Height of the base and protection of
the forklift truck.
Dimension Z and dimension Y must be cleared
comfortably.
E. Maximum elevation height.
Must be at least 200 mm greater than
dimension W.

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BASIS FOR CALCULATION
Guidelines and recommendations
Mecalux calculates the compact racking units
following the main criteria of:
• Eurocode 3
• FEM Directive 10.2.07 (Design of Drive-in
Pallet Racking)

Calculation criteria
Mecalux uses a powerful calculation program
that implements the most important aspects
of the above standards and recommendations,
such as:
• Safety coefficients for both increasing loads
and reducing material
• Specific load situations for limit conditions
and service conditions
• Minimum pallet support on the 20 mm rail
when the unit load is moved, considering the
load condition that causes most deformity to
the shelving
• Second order calculation
• Modelled structure with global and local
imperfections.

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Maximum deflection of the pallet support rails Safety factors
The maximum deflection or deformation of The structural safety of an installation is
the pallet support rail is limited to the distance obtained by adopting the following coefficients:
between supports/200. As these are open • Partial safety factors for loads that increase
profiles with non- symmetrical shapes, the rails the actions or loads to be considered. These
are calculated using finite element programs. coefficients vary according to the geographical
area and may be 1.35, 1.40 or 1.50.
• Partial safety factors for material that reduce
the characteristics of the materials used. These
coefficients vary according to the geographical
area and may be 1 or 1.10.

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Racking unit stability
The racking units must provide guaranteed
crosswise and lengthwise stability. The
lengthwise plane is parallel to the frame and the
crosswise plane is perpendicular to the storage
aisles.
Lengthwise stability
Stability is ensured by the rigidity of the frames
and the diagonals and by their being attached
to each other by the support rails themselves
Crosswise stability
There are three basic construction systems that
guarantee stability. Stability of the racking in
construction system 1.

Construction System 1
Rigidity is obtained by joining the uprights and
beams together and the degree of embedding
obtained between the feet of the uprights and
the floor using two anchors.

Stability of the racking in construction system 1 Stability of the racking in construction system 2
with single or double access

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Construction System 2 Construction System 3
As well as the aspects considered in The stiffening aisles are replaced by vertical
construction system 1, stiffening aisles and bracing at the back (in single access racking
upper cross bracing that transmit horizontal units) or in the centre (in double access racking
stresses straight to the floor are fitted. units). The choice of construction system
depends on the height of the racking units, the
weight of the pallets, the epth of the aisle and
use. Only construction systems 1 and 2 may be
used with drive-through systems.

Stability of the racking in construction system 2 Stability of the racking in

with single or double access construction system 3

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Calculating the uprights
The upright is one of the main elements of drive-in racking and must therefore be very carefully
calculated. Unlike what happens with other storage systems, with racking of this type the upright is
not only subjected to forces of compression but also of flexion, making it necessary to provide the
upright with the necessary inertia. Mecalux uses a powerful calculation program that implements the
most important aspects of standard Eurocode 3 and the FEM Directive 10.2.07.

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The uprights obtained as a result of these
calculations have been developed with
geometries that are specific to each type
of installation and cover all storage needs
regarding height, load and distribution of the
installation.

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 BASIC COMPONENTS

1. Frame 7. Levelling plates

2. Drive-in beam 8. Anchor bolts
3. Bracket 9. Bracing set (Construction system 1)
4. GP-7 rail 10. Upper cross bracing (Construction
5. C-rail system 2)

6. Upright footplate 11. Guide rail (optional)

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 Upright footplate Top beam
This is part of the frame. It is This connects the frames at
designed to be fitted with two the top, forming a gantry.
anchor bolts and the levelling
plates.

Guide rails and protectors

These make it easier for the forklift trucks to gain access around
and reduce the possibility of accidental damage. These can be
single or double profile, depending on the type of forklift truck
used.

Frames GP-7 rail C- rail

These are made up of two uprights This is a pallet support Steel clad C-shaped 100 mm-
with the corresponding horizontals profile, made of triangular- high profile for supporting
and diagonals, footplates and shaped galvanised steel. It pallets without centralising.
accessories. The frames have slots enables pallet centralisation Used when the load overhangs
every 50 mm to accommodate the with minimal loss of space the pallets. Supported on and
beams and supports. The depth (50 mm). The profiles are joined to the uprights using C
of the frame is determined by the supported on and joined brackets.
dimensions of the storage aisle to the uprights using GP-7
and the height, measurements and brackets.
weight of the pallets.

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CLEARANCES
Construction system with a GP-7 rail
The GP-7 rail is ideal when all of the pallets to
be stored are the same size. This means that
the merchandise can be centralised and this
prevents the pallets from colliding with the
racking structure.
The fact that the GP-7 support is triangular in
shape gives it a very high load capacity, with
a loss in height of only 50 mm (the part of the
profile that is under the pallet). This means that
the space between levels can be reduced, or
work tolerances increased (figure 1).
The aisle width is determined by the front
measurement of the pallets plus the minimum
necessary clearances. If the load overhangs Figure 1

the pallet, the aisle needs to be wider and the

supports longer, as a minimum pallet support
of 30 mm must be ensured when the pallet is Frontal dimensions - mm
completely displaced to one side (figure 2).
A B C D E
There is a minimum clearance of 75 mm. For
high pallets, we advise increasing this tolerance 1200 1200 162 1026 1350
level. The frontal dimensions are calculated for 1200 1250 187 1026 1400
pallets measuring 1200 mm along the front, at 1200 1300 212 1026 1450
the base. The same criteria must be used for
1200 1350 237 1026 1500
pallets of other sizes (figure 3).
1200 1400 262 1026 1550

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Height
The minimum height measurements
required are as follows:
F: height of the lower and intermediate
levels = height of thepallets + 150 mm
G: height of the upper level = height of
the pallets + 200 mm
H: total height = at least, the sum of all
the levels.
Dimensions F, G and H must always be
multiples of 50 mm (figure 4).

Depth
The minimum depth measurements to
consider are the following:
X: the total depth of all the pallets
(including the measurement of the
load if it protrudes) plus a clearance for
positioning, which varies from
35 to 50 mm per pallet, depending on
the number of pallets (the more the
pallets there are the less the clearance
required) (figure 5).

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Construction system with C-rails
This system is installed when the
pallets used have different frontal
measurements, and for very large
storage units requiring greater
support clearances.
With C-rails it is not possible
to auto-centralise the different
pallets that may be stored in an
aisle. The system also means
that the operators have to be
more careful when manoeuvring
forklifts (figure 6). The pallets
must be analysed before defining
the support measurements.
The following illustrations show
solutions for storing 1300 mm
– and 1200 mm– wide pallets,
where the load does not overhang
the pallet in either case (figures 7
and 8).

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Height
Height clearances to be taken into account are
as follows:
F: height of the lower and intermediate levels =
height of the pallets + 300 mm.
G: height of the upper level = height of the
pallets + 200 mm.
H: total height = at least the sum of all the
levels.
Dimensions F, G and H must be multiples of 50
mm (figure 9). For depth clearances, use the
same criteria as for the GP-7 rail (figure 5).

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Lower guide rails
The guide rail system is used to:
• Prevent the pallets colliding
with the sides of the racking
structure.
• Enable the forklift trucks to be
equipped with side wheels so
that they are centralised when
moving inside the storage aisles.
• Avoid the risk of the racking
being hit, preventing possible
damage to the load and
simplifying manoeuvres.

It is strongly recommended that

they be fitted whenever very
deep aisles are used.
Whenever guide rails are
installed, it is important to bear in
mind that the width of the aisle is
calculated based on the distance
the forklift needs to move, plus
the width and clearances of the
rail profiles.

The most common system is that which

uses LPN50 profiles set onto supports
that are fixed to the ground, with
centralising protectors on the front of
the shelving units. These are joined to
the profiles and also anchored to the
floor.
This system prevents shocks and
vibrations being transmitted to the
racking structure itself.

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Guided, with single profile
The single-profile solution is sufficient when it is
only necessary to guide the pallets.
The measurements between guides with LPN50
profiles and standard protectors are as follows:
Dimensions of the aisle with standard guides
and protectors - mm
X Y
1350 1240
1400 1290
1450 1340
1500 1390
1550 1440
Another guiding system that can be used is with
U-shaped profiles placed at the bottom of the Guided, with double profile
racking uprights and held to the floor using the The double-profile solution is more common
same anchor bolts. This guiding system allows when the machine is guided with wheels and
for greater separation between guides for the dimensions and shocks they transmit make
wide-chassis forklift trucks, without the need it essential.
for wider aisles. Front protectors can also be
installed. Specific analysis is required before a
particular system is chosen.

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 ACCESSORIES

C-rail stop GP-7 rail centralisers

This is installed with C-type load rails. It has the GP-7 rail centralisers are installed at the end
same function as the GP-7 rail stops. of GP-7 rails in each of the loading aisles of a
compact pallet racking system. These are very
strong injected plastic parts which are attached
to the ends of the front parts of the rails. They
help to guide the pallet at the entrance to each
aisle.

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 Upright reinforcements
These are installed at the front of the first
upright of each row of frames and provide
protection against possible minor impacts.

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 COLD CHAMBERS WITH A DRIVE-IN SYSTEM

This storage system is widely

used in cold chambers – both
refrigeration and freezing –
where it is important to make
maximum possible use of the
space set aside for storage
of products at a controlled
temperature.

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 INTEGRAL WAREHOUSES WITH A DRIVE-IN SYSTEM

Integral warehouses with a drive-in system

Drive-in pallet racking can also be used to build self-supporting warehouses. The main characteristic
of these warehouses is that there is no need for an existing building, which translates into time and
cost savings.
In installations of this type, the racking structure supports its own weight, the weight of the products
stored in them and the corresponding additional forces, just like a traditional warehouse. In addition,
they support the weight of the structure and protect against external forces (wind, snow, etc.)
These warehouses can be designed to store products at room temperature or as cold chambers.

1. Drive-in racking
2. Trusses resting on the racking
structure
3. Roof joists
4. Facade joists
5. Facade cladding
6. Roof cladding
7. Watertight wall

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 AUTOMATED WAREHOUSES WITH A DRIVE-IN SYSTEM

In the compact storage system, stacker cranes

can also be added, with a shuttle car moving on
the load platform. The shuttle car, driven by a
computer system managed by the warehouse,
is responsible for depositing and extracting the
pallets automatically. A shuttle and shuttle car
assembly can also be installed on each level,
thus considerably increasing the number of
pallets moved. Installations of this type need
to be studied in great detail. We recommend
that you request further information from our
technical and sales department.

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 Thank you for your attention!
We welcome your questions, you can find us at:

office@[Link]

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