CANTILEVER RACKING

Specifying Columns, Arms and Bases Correctly

Cantilever design starts from the arm, because arm capacity falls as arm length rises. A 1,000 mm arm that carries 1,000 kg will typically carry around 600 kg at 1,500 mm — the bending moment at the column connection is what governs. We size arms to your longest and heaviest item, not the average, and always allow a minimum of two arms under every load with a rule of thumb of one arm per 1,200 mm of load length for flexible material like plasterboard or timber sheet.

Bases carry the overturning moment. For single-sided runs against a wall we specify longer bases and floor anchors at every base; double-sided runs balance each other and need shorter bases, which is why double-sided is nearly always cheaper per tonne stored. Arms are usually pitched at 100 mm increments up the column so levels can be changed as your stock profile changes.

Finish matters outdoors. Around a third of the cantilever we install in the Midlands sits in an external yard for steel, timber or building supplies, so we specify hot-dip galvanised columns, arms and bracing rather than powder coat, and design for wind loading where the run is over 5 m tall or carries sheet material that acts as a sail.

• Light, medium and heavy duty columns from 2,000 mm to 6,000 mm tall
• Arm lengths from 400 mm to 2,000 mm, straight or inclined
• Arm capacities from 500 kg to 1,500 kg per arm
• Single-sided for walls, double-sided for open floor and yards
• Hot-dip galvanised finish for external timber and steel yards
• Timber, mesh or steel decking to convert bays into bulk shelving

Sector Applications We Install Most Often

Builders' merchants and timber yards are the largest single group. A typical branch run is double-sided, 4,000 mm high, 1,000 mm arms at four levels, with inclined arms on the top level so lengths cannot roll off. Steel stockholders go the other way — shorter columns, heavier arms, closer column centres because steel tube concentrates weight in a short span.

Carpet and flooring distributors need a hybrid: cantilever for rolled goods stored horizontally, plus vertical roll racking or textile cradles for shorter rolls. Plastics and PVC-u fabricators usually want fully decked cantilever bays so profile bundles cannot sag between arms.

For anyone handling long loads with a side-loader, column centres and aisle width matter as much as the racking. Side-loaders need around 3,500–4,500 mm of aisle depending on load length; a four-way combi truck can work considerably tighter. We design the aisle around your truck, and if you do not yet have one we will tell you which route gives the lowest total cost.

Safety, Load Notices and Inspection

Cantilever fails differently from pallet racking: overload usually shows as arm deflection or base lift rather than a buckled upright. Any arm with visible permanent droop, or a base plate where the anchor has pulled and left a gap under the plate, is a red risk and should be offloaded immediately. We see both regularly on racking that was installed without a load notice, so nobody on site knew what the arms were rated for.

Under HSG76 and SEMA guidance, cantilever runs need the same regime as any other racking: weekly recorded visual checks by a nominated Person Responsible for Racking Safety, and an annual inspection by a SEMA-approved inspector. We supply a laminated load notice per run showing arm capacity, capacity per column side and maximum load length, and we hold replacement arms, columns and bracing for the main UK systems.