On the seismic design and behavior of Automated Rack Supported Warehouses

Automated Rack Supported Warehouses, consisting of huge steel buildings offering optimized storage solutions, have been facing a huge diffusion in the last decade, mainly due to the necessity of having bigger and more efficient places to stock and handle goods through automated systems. However, there is not a specific regulatory framework for them, and they are currently being designed to adopt the approach used for traditional steel racks. Even if traditional steel racks and ARSWs have several common aspects, there are relevant differences that do not allow to adopt the same design approach, especially for seismic actions. To highlight the factors and parameters currently influencing the seismic design and the behavior of these constructions, and the consequent need for a different design approach, the present paper presents a critical analysis of the seismic design approach currently adopted by technicians and designers. Then, a set of 5 structures designed by 5 of the major European companies specialized in this field is used to perform both the critical analysis of the different design approaches adopted and the assessment of the seismic performance. The seismic assessment results highlight the typical criticalities and the necessity of a novel proper design approach.