Progressive collapse prevention of drive-in steel storage racks

DIRs are particularly susceptible to collapse due to their loading process, tight design and topology. Collapses are typically initiated by a localised upright failure resulting from accidental overloading or impact from forklift trucks (Gilbert & Rasmussen 2009). The redistribution of load associated with the localised failure can produce a progressive failure mechanism, resulting in disproportionate collapse of the rack.