Cantilever racking for pipes and conduit.

Why pipe and conduit storage needs cantilever racking

Pipe and conduit stock is characterised by long lengths, large diameter variation and significant weight per bundle. Standard 3 m and 6 m plastic drainage pipe in diameters from 110 mm to 630 mm cannot be stored on pallet racking because the lengths exceed standard bay widths and the circular profile makes stable stacking difficult. Electrical conduit — steel, galvanised and rigid plastic — is typically 3 m in length and stored in significant volumes by electrical wholesalers and mechanical and electrical contractors. Copper tube in 3 m and 6 m lengths is a high-value product requiring careful storage to prevent dents, kinks and surface damage. Cantilever racking provides purpose-built storage for all of these products.

Pipe and conduit products stored on cantilever racking

Builders' merchants typically store the full range of plastic drainage — including soil pipe, underground drainage, rainwater goods and waste systems from manufacturers such as Polypipe, Wavin and Brett Martin — on multi-level cantilever systems. Steel and HDPE pressure pipe for water, gas and industrial applications is stored in coiled or straight lengths depending on diameter. Electrical wholesalers store steel conduit, galvanised conduit, rigid PVC conduit and flexible conduit alongside trunking and cable management systems on dedicated cantilever runs. HVAC and ventilation ductwork — spiral, rectangular and flexible — is stored on wide-arm systems sized for the largest duct sections.

• Plastic drainage pipe — soil, underground, rainwater
• Steel and HDPE pressure pipe
• Copper tube in 3 m and 6 m lengths
• Steel, galvanised and PVC conduit
• Cable trunking and management systems
• HVAC ductwork — spiral, rectangular, flexible

Specifying cantilever racking for pipe storage

Pipe storage systems require careful consideration of arm spacing to prevent large-diameter pipe from rolling between arms, and arm end stops or cradles to prevent stock sliding off the ends. For large-diameter drainage pipe, arm spacing is typically set to support the pipe at quarter points along its length. Bundle weight per arm must account for the density of tightly packed pipe stock. Rackstor UK surveys pipe and conduit stockholders and specifies systems around the pipe diameters, lengths and bundle weights being stored.