• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.68-76
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• 2021

Storage racks have suffered huge losses due to earthquakes, but related research and regulations are relatively insufficient non-structural elements compared to the structural elements. In this study, we tried to experimentally analyze the behavioral characteristics of storage racks due to external force according to the fixing conditions of the column-foundations connection of storage racks. In general, the column-foundations connection of storage racks is installed according to the user's convenience without installation standards and regulations. For this reason, this study conducted a behavior analysis test on four full-scale storage racks with the condition of column-foundations connection of four typical storage racks. The behavior characteristics analysis test was performed by two-direction of the shake table with El-Centro seismic wave. To confirm the behavior characteristics according to the magnitude of the seismic load, 50% ~ 150% of the seismic waves were increased by 50% for each test. In addition, a resonance search test was conducted to confirm the natural frequency of each storage racks foundations fixing condition. Among the data obtained through the test, the displacement of the top layer and the permanent displacement after the test were compared for each condition to analyze the behavior characteristics of the column-foundations fixed conditions of the storage racks. As a result, the change of natural frequency was small in storage racks due to the change of the conditions of the foundations, and the behavior characteristics were changed due to the difference of the restoring force due to the change of the storage racks foundations condition rather than the influence of the natural frequency of the input load.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.421-432
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• 1997

In general, Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) have racks of equal size. But higher utilization of warehouse storage can be achieved by using AS/RS with racks of different size. Therefore those systems are adequate and efficient in current environment. In this paper, travel time models are developed for AS/RS with racks of different size under randomized storage in each zone. Each zone has its own rack size. In order to confirm the proposed travel time models, some numerical examples are given.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 2024

The spent nuclear fuel, combusted and released in the nuclear power plant, is stored in the spent fuel pool (SFP) located in the fuel buildings interconnected with the reactors. In Korea, spent fuel has been stored exclusively in SFPs, prompting initiatives to expand storage capacity by either installing additional SFPs or replacing them with high-density spent fuel storage racks. The installation of these fuel racks necessitates obtaining a regulatory license contingent upon ensuring safe fuel handling and storage systems. Regulatory agencies mandate the formulation of various postulated accident scenarios and assessments covering criticality, shielding, thermal behavior, and structural integrity to ensure safe fuel handling and storage systems. This study describes an evaluation method for assessing the structural damage to storage racks resulting from fuel dropping as a part of the functional safety evaluation of these racks. A scenario was envisaged wherein fuel was dropped onto the base plates of the upper and lower sections of the storage racks, and the impact load was analyzed using the ABAQUS/Explicit program. The evaluation results revealed localized plastic deformation but affirmed the structural integrity and safety of the storage racks.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.6
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• pp.745-756
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• 2022

This study aims to determine the cause of the load resistance loss in storage racks that can be attributed to external forces such as earthquakes and to improve safety by developing reinforcement systems that can prevent load resistance loss. To this end, a static cyclic loading test was performed on pallet racks commonly used in logistics warehouses. The test results indicated that a pallet rack exposed to an external force loses more than 50% of its load resistance owing to the damage caused to column-beam joints. Three reinforcement systems were developed for preventing load resistance loss in storage racks exposed to an external force and for performing differentiated target functions: column reinforcement device, seismic damper, and viscoelastic damper. Shake table testing was performed to evaluate the earthquake response and verify the performance of these reinforcement systems. The results confirmed that, the maximum displacement, which causes the loss of load resistance and the permanent deformation of racks under external force, is reduced using the developed reinforcement devices. Thus, the appropriate selection of the developed reinforcement devices by users can help secure the safety of the storage racks.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2019

The aim of the paper is the prediction of the seismic collapse mode of steel storage pallet racks under seismic loads. The attention paid by the researchers on the behaviour of the industrial steel storage pallets racks is increased over the years thanks to their high dead-to-live load ratio. In fact, these structures, generally made by cold-formed thin-walled profiles, present very low structural costs but can support large and expensive loads. The paper presents a prediction of the seismic collapse modes of multi-storey racks. The analysis of the possible collapse modes has been made by an approach based on the kinematic theorem of plastic collapse extended to the second order effects by means of the concept of collapse mechanism equilibrium curve. In this way, the dissipative behaviour of racks is determined with a simpler method than the pushover analysis. Parametric analyses have been performed on 24 racks, differing for the geometric layout and cross-section of the components, designed in according to the EN16618 and EN15512 requirements. The obtained results have highlighted that, in all the considered cases, the global collapse mechanism, that is the safest one, never develops, leading to a dangerous situation that must be avoided to preserve the structure during a seismic event. Although the studied racks follow all the codes prescriptions, the development of a dissipative collapse mechanism is not achieved. In addition, also the variability of load distribution has been considered, reflecting the different pallet positions assumed during the in-service life of the racks, to point out its influence on the collapse mechanism. The information carried out from the paper can be very useful for designers and manufacturers because it allows to better understand the racks behaviour in seismic load condition.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.357-373
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• 2019

Steel storage racks are slender structures whose overall behavior and the capacity depend largely on the flexural behavior of the base-plate to upright connections and on the behavior of beam-to-column connections. The base-plate upright connection assembly details, anchor bolt position in particular, associated with the high-rise steel storage racks differ from those of normal height steel storage racks. Since flexural behavior of high-rise rack base connection is hitherto unavailable, this investigation experimentally establishes the flexural behavior of base-plate upright connections of high-rise steel storage racks. This investigation used an enhanced test setup and considered nine groups of three identical tests to investigate the influence of factors such as axial load, base plate thickness, anchor bolt size, bracket length, and upright thickness. The test observations show that the base-plate assembly may significantly influence the overall behavior of such connections. A rigid plate analytical model and an elastic plate analytical model for the overall rotations stiffness of base-plate upright connections with concentric anchor bolts were constructed, and were found to give better predictions of the initial stiffness of such connections. Analytical model based parametric studies highlight and quantify the interplay of components and provide a means for efficient maximization of overall rotational stiffness of concentrically anchor bolted high-rise rack base-plate upright connections.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2023

In an automotive plant, an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) synchronizes material handling flows from a part production line to an auto-assembly line. The part production line transfers parts on small-/large-sized pallets. The products on pallets are temporarily stored on the ASRS, and the ASRS retrieves the products upon request from the auto-assembly line. Each ASRS aisle is equipped with narrow-/wide-width racks for two pallet sizes. An ASRS aisle with narrow-/wide-width racks improves both storage space utilization and crane utilization while requiring delicate ASRS aisle design, i.e., the locations of the narrow-/wide-width racks in an ASRS aisle, and proper operation policies affect the ASRS performance over demand fluctuations. We focus on operation policies involving a common storage zone using wide-width racks for two pallet sizes and a storage-retrieval job-change for a crane based on assembly-line batch size. We model a discrete-event simulation model and conduct extensive experiments to evaluate operation policies. The simulation results address the best ASRS aisle design and suggest the most effective operation policies for the aisle design.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the damage and destruction behavior of pallet racks due to external forces through shaking table test. Pallet racks is a general storage racks type consisting of column, beam, and brace to resist an external force. To analyze the safety of the pallet racks due to external force, a shaking table test was conducted to investigate the pallet racks behavior due to external force while increasing the seismic load targeting the pallet racks used in the existing logistics storage facility. As a result of the shaking table test, it was confirmed that the torsion of the pallet racks damaged the connection parts of some members located on the 1st and 2nd levels, thereby destroying the loading equipment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.788-793
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• 2018

High-density spent fuel (SF) storage racks have been installed to increase SF pool capacity. In these SF racks, neutron absorber materials were placed between fuel assemblies allowing the storage of fuel assemblies in close proximity to one another. The purpose of the neutron absorber materials is to preclude neutronic coupling between adjacent fuel assemblies and to maintain the fuel in a subcritical storage condition. METAMIC neutron absorber has been used in high-density storage racks. But, neutron absorber materials can be subject to severe conditions including long-term exposure to gamma radiation and neutron radiation. Recently, some of them have experienced degradation, such as white spots on the surface. Under these conditions, the material must continue to serve its intended function of absorbing neutrons. For the first time in Korea, this article uses a neutron attenuation test to examine the performance of METAMIC surveillance coupons. Also, scanning electron microscope analysis was carried out to verify the white spots that were detected on the surface of METAMIC. In the neutron attenuation test, there was no significant sign of boron loss in most of the METAMIC coupons, but the coupon with white spots had relatively less B-10 content than the others. In the scanning electron microscope analysis, corrosion material was detected in all METAMIC coupons. Especially, it was confirmed that the coupon with white spots contains much more corrosion material than the others.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.349-356
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• 2018

This paper attempts to develop a connection model based on FE analysis that can be applied to the evaluation of earthquake fragility of Steel Storage Racks lacking research in Korea. In order to accomplish this goal, shaking table tests, modal tests, and various member tests (8 case, push-over test) for structural members have been conducted to understand the behavior of steel storage racks. Based on the experimental results, detailed modeling of the joints was conducted using the NX-Nastran program in order to develop a connection model for Steel storage racks to be applied to the seismic vulnerability assessment. Especially, surface to surface contact element and spring element are applied to simulate the connection between the column member and the beam member connected by the simple latch method. Spring element model developed and applied ARX (Auto Regressive eXogenous) based mathematical model. The simulation results based on the FE model showed excellent reliability with a mutual error rate of less than 8% when compared with the member test results. As a result, it was confirmed that the FE model based connection model developed in the study can be applied to the analytical model for the seismic vulnerability assessment of Steel storage racks.