Warehouse design, manufacture and installation company APC Storage Solutions SA, was contracted to create a turnkey solution for comminution equipment supplier Weir Minerals’ 3 000 m2 warehouse in Alrode, Johannesburg, which included supplying and installing South Africa’s highest live pallet racking system.

At eight pallets high, 12 pallets deep and spanning across 30 lanes, this live pallet racking system is able to hold a total of 3 000 t in just 288 m2 of space, making this, not only the highest in South Africa, but also one of the heaviest.

Weir Minerals, which supplies large and heavy equipment, including motors, pumps, conveyors and steel plates for the construction and mining industries, needed a high capacity system, which could store equipment as heavy and dense as possible needed to be created owing to the weight of these items.

As part of the overall warehouse solution, APC Storage Solutions SA also supplied and installed a 13 m, 18-level-high conventional pallet racking system, which was designed in a narrow aisle formation to get the most out of warehouse space, and fire retardant mezzanine floors with double staircases to serve as office space.

“APC Storage Solutions SA’s focus was on the capacity and density requirements of Weir Minerals, so we created a solution that would allow for dense storage, which included creating half pallet sizes. We used solid steel to reinforce the various racking systems to securely support the heavy loads. Also, we installed a super flat FM1 floor, which includes a 600 mm slab underneath the pallet racking to ensure the floor can withstand the pressure of the stored weight and will not wear over time,” explains APC Storage Solutions SA MD Fred Albrecht.

Safety was a key focus for the client and APC Storage Solutions SA took this into consideration during the design stage through to completion. “Our Mecalux racking systems are ISO-certified and come standard with a five-year guarantee and lifetime warranty. Each installation was carried out by adhering to the strictest International and European norms and regulations,” notes Albrecht.

The two mezzanine floors were installed 6 m off the ground and were designed to reduce the possibility of sway. The entire structure is coated with a protective paint, which provides optimum performance in case of a fire and is finished with fire-retardant sheet metal flooring.

The design phase began in 2011 and, once the drawings were approved, APC Storage Solutions SA manufactured, imported and installed the systems in under three months. As part of its after-sales service, APC Storage Solutions SA is providing continuous support and on-site maintenance.