When you consider the weight capacity for your situation,
you need to consider the capacity of the shelf, the posts, and and the
decking material.
Changing the number of shelves affects the capacity of the shelving unit. Units with fewer shelves, spaced farther apart decrease the capacity
of the posts. Adding more shelves increases the capacity of the posts--to a
point. It is possible to add more higher capacity shelves than what
the posts can carry. Overloading the posts can cause failure of the shelving
unit.
As an example, a 72" wide x 18" deep unit with channel beams and center
supports used for the shelves can hold up to 1,850 lbs. The capacity of the
four angle posts in an 84" high unit with four shelves is 5,960 lbs. If you
load the four shelves to their rated capacity you would be carrying a load
of 7,400 lbs, exceeding the capacity of the posts, and likely causing
failure of the unit. For this situation, the capacity of the posts limits
the effective capacity of the unit to 1,490 lbs per shelf.
The capacities
shown are not intended for seismic conditions or multi-level systems. Contact
Cisco-Eagle if either of these conditions apply.
Lighter capacity decking materials can also change the effective capacity of
the shelving unit, and should be considered when specifying your
requirements.
If you have a requirement for heavier loads, we can verify that the shelving
you are considering is adequate to hold the weight you would like to place on
it. Contact Cisco-Eagle for assistance.