Automated rack supported warehouses (ARSW) are nowadays a very popular typology of buildings for massive
storage of goods. Their large dimensions, together with the property of having the racks as load bearing structure,
implies that Recommendations and Codes for the usual warehouses are not entirely applicable. STEELWAR
project is aimed at increasing the safety, reliability and economy of ARSW. The analysis of actual design
practices, unconventional loading conditions, constructional phases and seismic design are the objectives of the
project. In addition, a significant effort is devoted to the wind effects on ARSW by modelling and measuring
actions on structures with different characteristics and extension.
STEELWAR European Project
The STEELWAR project (“Advanced structural solutions for automated STEELrack supported
WARehouses”, funded by the European Commission) faces the aforementioned problems with the aim
of increasing the safety, reliability and economy of ARSW. The analysis of actual design practices,
unconventional loading conditions, constructional phases and seismic design are the objectives of the
project. In addition, a significant effort is devoted to the wind effects on ARSW by modelling and
measuring actions on structures with different characteristics and extension (30 case studies will be
analysed during the project).
The fist two meeting of the Work Group have been held in Pisa (October 2017) and Udine (February/March 2018).