Longspan shelf

What is longspan shelving?

Longspan or Long-span by definition means spanning a great distance. In the storage industry it refers to shelving units that span a great length or have the capacity to be extended to great lengths. They are generally made of steel, are strong and can hold heavy weight loads.

Longspan Shelving is also known as Heavy Duty Shelving, Storage Shelving, Garage Shelving, Warehouse Shelving, Metal Shelving and many other variations.
Longspan or Long-span by definition means spanning a great distance. In the storage industry it refers to shelving units that span a great length or have the capacity to be extended to great lengths.
They are generally made of steel, are strong and can hold heavy weight loads.
Longspan shelving is extremely versatile and for this reason they are used for both domestic and commercial purposes.
A six meter shelving unit in someone’s garage could just as easily be used in a storage warehouse.

Components of Longspan Shelving

There are three essential components in longspan shelving, vertical uprights, horizontal beams and internal shelves.

• Vertical Uprights

Uprights are the two metal structures that stand at each end of a shelving unit. Uprights can come in several heights and are what shelving bays connect to when extended. They are the connecting point for each extension.

• Horizontal Beams

Horizontal Beams connect to each of the uprights and determine the length of the bay. Together with uprights they are the means by which shelving units can be extended.

• Internal Shelves

Internal Shelves sit inside two beams and in between two uprights. It is here that you place your storage items.

A typical single bay shelving unit will normally include two outer uprights, eight horizontal beams and four or eight inner shelves.

Assembling Longspan Shelving

Assembling longspan shelving is not difficult and can be put together by a couple of people in a relatively short period of time.

1. Begin by unpacking all your boxes and separate the three main components, uprights, beams and shelves into groups.
2. Divide the beams into two groups of four, one to your right and the other to your left. You will need these nearby later when you attach them to the uprights.
3. Position the vertical uprights standing and facing each other with the beams at arms legth.
   (If you are by yourself you can use a wall to hold one of the uprights up.)
4. With one hand holding the upright, slot the beam into the outer section and get your partner to place the other end of the beam onto the other upright.
   (Beams will generally have an inner lip that slips into the outer part of the upright for easy assembly.)
5. Repeat the same process for your second beam directly on the opposite side. This will create one shelf space and keep the shelving unit steady. Repeat the process for all other beams.
6. Once the beams are in place you can insert the shelves.
7. As an option you can bolt down the shelving unit for extra security.
8. And that’s it. You have just assembled a single bay shelving unit.

Benefits of Longspan Shelving

Free Standing – Easy to disassemble and move when required.
Extendible – You can buy add-ons as required.
Click-in System – Easy to install. (No tools required)

Materials and Quality

Quality can be subjective, but if it is made to hold 800kg or more and comes with a decent warranty, then you could safely assume that it is built to high quality standards.
One thing to look out for is the welding, make sure there are no cracks and that it is solidly put together.