Steel Shelving Specification Guide

1. Determine overall width of shelving area. This is the amount of space you have to place the shelving.

2. Measure the width, depth and height of product being stored.
3. Determine the weight of product to be stored, and the number of products to be stored per shelf.
4. Determine the width, or left-to-right dimension of the individual shelf units needed. Standard shelving units are 36", 42" and 48" wide. Choose the size that best fits your product. Don't forget that the face of the shelf post will obstruct some of the width of the unit. See the drawing to the right for the size of the clear openings.
5. Determine the shelf depth. This is the front-to-back dimension. Choose the size that best fits your product depth. Standard depths are 12", 18" and 24" for steel shelving.
6. Determine the weight each shelf will need to bear based on the weight of stored product, and number of products per shelf. This determines the needed shelf capacity.
   

   Shelf Capacities

   	Depth
   Width	12	15	18	24	30	36
   36	800	800	850	800	500	500
   42	600	600	600	600	624	475
   48	500	500	500	500	500	500

   These capacities are based upon uniformly distributed loads.

   
   
7. Determine height of shelving needed. Some factors that may help determine this are: Ceiling height and number of shelf openings required. Shelf openings are the space between shelf levels. For example, a seven shelf unit will have six openings. To determine your shelf opening size, you should consider your product height. Standard steel shelving heights are: 75", 87", and 99". 87" shelving is the most common, most versatile size. They are also the sizes we keep in stock.
8. Calculate Shelf Spacing. The shelves are 1 3/16" high, and are adjustable in one inch increments. The lowest a shelf can be placed in a unit while using shelf clips, is 3" above the floor. If bolted in place, the bottom shelf will be resting on the floor.
   
   To begin, take the number of shelves you plan to use in the unit, and subtract 1. This gives you the number of openings you will have to store items. Subtract 3 inches from the post height, and divide this by the number of openings. You will now have the nominal shelf spacing from the top of a shelf to the top of the next shelf. Round this number off to an even inch.
   
   Now if you subtract 1 3/16" from the shelf spacing, this will give you the actual clear opening in which you can store your items.
9. Determine whether you want the shelving unit to be open-type or closed-type. For details, see Open vs. Closed shelving. Check the product tables for the appropriate size.
   • Open Steel Shelving: Penco | Western Pacific
   • Closed Steel Shelving: Penco | Western Pacific
10. This guide reflects steel shelving, but there are other types of shelving. For many applications you can utilize Rivet Shelving, or Wire Shelving. For advice on shelving sizes, configurations and sizes, feel free to contact customer service.

Cost Saving Tips

• If you are using closed shelving, place the side panels only at the end of the row, and use sway braces on the sides of the rest of the shelving. Closed side panels cost approximately three times as much as a pair of sway braces.
• When using closed or open units, and your shelving is configured in back to back rows, share a common closed back or sway braces between units.

NOTE: We can assist you in quickly and easily configuring your shelving unit. Call toll-free in the U.S. or submit a shelving inquiry.