Material handling operations inside of a warehouse require constant forklift movement depending on racking configuration. This means potential impact of forklifts into the racking structure and can cause a compromise in structural integrity and safety. To increase impact protection from forklift contact, a number of features are available including doublers, heavy horizontals and post protectors that add protection to the bottom of the racking structure where weight capacity is most important.

1. Doublers – Doublers (two structural upright channels – back to back) increase upright capacity and impact resistance and can be configured with one front doubler, one rear doubler or both front and rear doublers. Doublers are frequently provided in the aisle “impact zone” to reduce damage from forklifts and are also used to increase column capacity for heavily loaded uprights. Front doublers can increase the impact resistance by a factor of 3x!
2. Heavy Horizontals – Heavy horizontals are optional at the first horizontal location and help protect the upright from damage by fork trucks and pallets. They also help distribute impact forces to the rear column and prevent the column from twisting when hit. Heavy horizontals are constructed from the same material as the upright columns. Heavy Bottom Horizontals will significantly reduce damage to uprights and product caused by forklift impact.
3. Post Protectors – Post protectors are used to help protect the front column from damage by deflecting the impact away from the column. Column protectors come in two forms, angle and bullnose. Angle column protectors are constructed from 1/4″ heavy-duty structural angle and are used to reduce damage to the front of the upright from forklift impact. Bullnose column protectors are used in high tempo applications with severe forklift impact and significantly strengthen the connection to the slab. Bullnose protectors typically will have an additional 3/4″ anchor installed inside the front bullnose to reduce damage and column rotation.