KEVOS® MAKEOS · Strength
Cantilever Rack Arm Check (Arm Section, Bending Stress, Tip Deflection, Column Bolts)
For a cantilever racking arm carrying a uniform load, are its bending stress and tip deflection within limits, and can the bolts at the column take the pull?
Check of a cantilever rack arm or bracket with a uniformly spread load: the section properties of an I, T, channel or angle arm (as the section shapes tool), the moment at the column and the tip deflection for a cantilever with a uniform load (as the beam cases tool), the bending stress, and the tension in the top bolts of the moment connection from the lever arm to the bottom bearing point, against your allowable stress, deflection limit and bolt capacity.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Total load on the arm (spread evenly) | N | Total load on the arm, taken as spread evenly along it. |
| Arm length from the column face | mm | Length of the arm from the column face. |
| Arm section | ||
| Shape | choice | Shape of the arm section. |
| Overall depth (vertical leg) | mm | Depth of the section. |
| Overall width | mm | Width of the section. |
| Flange thickness | mm | Flange thickness. |
| Web thickness | mm | Web thickness. |
| Modulus of elasticity | GPa | Modulus of elasticity. |
| Allowable bending stress | MPa | Allowable bending stress. |
| Tip deflection limit (length ÷) | Largest tip deflection as a fraction of the arm length. | |
| Column connection | ||
| Lever arm, top bolts to bottom bearing point | mm | Distance from the top bolts down to the point where the arm bears on the column. |
| Top bolts in tension | bolts | Bolts in the top row taking the moment as tension. |
| Allowable tension per bolt | N | Allowable tension in each bolt. |
Method and formulas
- A, I and Z of the section about its horizontal axis (as the section shapes tool).
- Cantilever with a uniform load: M = P L ÷ 2 at the column, tip deflection = P L³ ÷ 8EI (as the beam cases tool).
- Bolt tension = M ÷ lever arm ÷ top bolts.
- Example: 42.054 MPa and 0.56773 mm at the tip; each top bolt carries 15,000 N.
Limitations
- Uniform load and a rigid column; point loads at the tip double the moment for the same total.
- Bending about the section’s main axis; channels and angles also twist under load.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Check cantilever racking for bar or pipe storage
- Size a wall bracket arm
- Check bolts of a cantilever arm to its column
Who it is for
- Design engineers
- Warehouse engineers
- Fabricators
What you get
- Arm section properties
- Moment, stress and tip deflection
- Bolt tension at the column
Interpreting the result
- Loads placed at the arm tip are the worst case; marking a safe working load per arm prevents overloading.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 234–246, 257–277, 1535. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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