Influence of web members on the in-plane and out-of-plane capacities of steel storage upright frames

• Global buckling sensitivity of storage rack members in compression and out-of-plane bending of upright frame modules is evaluated by tests.
• Design buckling strength of uprights of which length is calibrated for distortional–global interaction mode can be estimated by single section tests.
• The web members cross-section and connecting details can influence significantly the buckling about the weak axis (in-plane buckling).
• For out-of-plane buckling, the influence of web members is low.
• Attention should be paid to upright members having the flexural buckling load about the weak axis lower than flexural–torsional one.

Global buckling behaviour, with or without interaction with distortional buckling, of storage rack members is evaluated by tests carried out according to EN 15512 (2009) [1] on compression and out-of-plane bending of upright frame modules. Based on test results for both single upright sections and frame modules, completed by numerical simulation, the present paper attempts to demonstrate that the design buckling strength of uprights can be conveniently estimated by single section tests, providing that the length of these members is calibrated for the distortional–global interaction mode.