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Something fun to kick around.  It's not the Eiffel Tower, but it's important.Material under stress, and material under compression.  And hinge points.Ultimately, a structure that has to resist scissoring along the length of it.  Right to  left.  Left to right.This is a steel storage rack.  A place/thing to store lengths of stock.  Approximately 7 feet wide, and 6 feet deep at the runners on the ground, but the shelves are only about 26 inches deep(not really shelves, just pieces of channel).  The uprights are 6 feet tall.  Long stock will be stored on the shelves, and plate and sheet will lean against the backside.The width is designed to accept 12', and 8' stock.  I use a pickup to haul stuff home, and the LWS cuts all my stuff into 12's and 8's to accomodate me.  12's can be stored just fine on a 7' span, and the 8's fit nicely.  The middle upright/shelves are to for short drops.  There will be a expanded metal bin on the bottom to handle shorter drops.It will be constructed out of 3" channel.  4lb/foot stuff.  I think they call it medium weight.Tired of having lots of stock(for me anyway) sitting in the mud.The steel's already been cut, and it's layin'  in the yard waiting on good weather.  It's just a matter of gluin' it up.  It's a 90% done deal.  Only thing left to cut are the braces.BEST DESIGN FOR THE CROSS BRACES????There's the ultimate design which we all know.  The proper one.  But the reality is saving material.  Best braces with the least cost.  It's a tradeoff.Next post is my Super Cad drawings.Even though the uprights will draw comments, they ain't part of the problem.Max load, maybe 1000.  Real issue is the fact that it's gonna be on sloping ground, and never will be plumb. Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:First pic.... exagerated(not scale) side view of rackAll others.......Bracing possibilities Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I'd think for the back side, the off side, simple cheap straps on diagonals would do it for me. 'X' patterns.
Reply:Diagonal bracing?  I built a rack for work out of 2x3x11ga tube.  It was five xmas trees in a row, all connected at the top and bottom.  It was 20ft long.  On one side was just the branches for full lengths of material.  Half of the other side had the arms covered in 16ga to catch the short pieces.  The other half of that side had the arms removed and uprights put in instead to hold sheets.  worked great and prolly had 3000lbs or more of material on it with no problems.  I think if you are doing the tree design that channel on edge at the top and bottom will be sufficient, but flat stock diagonals would not hurt.  just do an X so they are in tension. I could be way off base too.
Reply:Couldn't you build an "A" frame?Maybe I got your idea wrong.
Reply:Is this what you mean WHughes?I have seen and made a few like this and works pretty good.By the way good last name...same as mine lol Attached ImagesIf it's too . get an office jobLincoln wp225g7 Lincoln 250 idealarcFrankenstein O/A set-up Weld-tech  tig set-upLincoln sp 175 plus profax  arc gouger
Reply:I like ddog's idea, seems like it would be more stable on uneven ground.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Check out the local Depot or Lowe's store and look at their bracing in the lumber racks.  Whatever they are using should be the best design(you would hope so).Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:My 2 cents; I think the short corner braces would be the easiest and would provide great lateral support.
Reply:I have a sneaking suspicion that plain old corner gussets would probably be adequate, but why not go for the biggest bang for the buck.True "X" braces in each bay would probably be the ultimate, but they're a PITA and use a lot of material.I'm favoring this design with the diagonal piece of channel welded on edgeI originally thought that a few pieces of simple strap/flat in tension would do the trick, but I trashed the idea because although they'd be more than adequate in tension, they wouldn't resist compression without buckling.  I know that most heavy duty shelves use this design, but I'm not too sure it's the "best".  I might be way off base on this thoughMy gut feeling is that the diagonals could either be in tension, or compression, depending on the direction of the force.  One would be under tension, while the one in the next bay would be under compression to some degree.  If the diagonal piece of channel is on edge, it will resist buckling under compression (I hope)."A" frame would have been nice.   It might have eliminated any issues of strain on the single upright.  I'm not too sure how it would behave as a beam though, given the relatively lightweight channel.  I think as soon as the upright is off of vertical, it becomes a beam to some degree.Lotta hot air over a simple rack Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Oh yeah, placing the diagonal on edge allows me to weld it easier.  Simple angle cut on either end, and I'm good.  No fitting to make it work on the middle upright (it's channel too)."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:The reason you make an X is so that one handles the tension from one direction and the other handles tension from the opposite direction.  Neither see compression because the other is taking the load as tension.  Clear as mud I know, but it works.  You could use cable for the X's or 1.5"x 1/8" flat is dirt cheap.  You don't even have to cut angles.  You could put them on the sides of the channel uprights.
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmThe reason you make an X is so that one handles the tension from one direction and the other handles tension from the opposite direction.  Neither see compression because the other is taking the load as tension.  Clear as mud I know, but it works.  You could use cable for the X's or 1.5"x 1/8" flat is dirt cheap.  You don't even have to cut angles.  You could put them on the sides of the channel uprights.
Reply:Actually got something done today.Upright for rack.  Believe one of y'all called it the xmas treePic 1... beveled joint for full penetration weld on the channelPic2.... shelf, and reinforcement on tension side of channelPic3.... straight member due to balanced heat on both sides of the weldment, the channel didn't pull, it wound up perfectly straight after it cooled.Pic4... heat signature(for those who don't know) on backside of 3/16 plate, showing proper penetration/heat in the weld7018 on channel welds, 6013 on the reinforcement flange(got a lot of this stuff to get rid of) Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:when we build those sorts of racks their usually just braced across the top then an X in each bay out of wire rope and turn buckles.last time I was at BCI's yard they had around 10,000 lbs of concrete forms on one  set and the other was stacked top to bottom with skids of 2 x 6 concrete form wood.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.