[Nhcoll-l] shelving in wet collection

[Callomon,Paul]

Hi Lennart,

I think the shelf you pictured will bend under even moderate load. However, you can find that out for yourself - get a sample! Put a piece of timber under each end (or wherever your load-bearers will be) and start loading it.
Deflection depends on how numerous and evenly-spaced the load bearers are. A shelf with four load-bearers can have a lower deflection rate than one that is only supported in two places.
This kind of wire shelving is often cantilevered (supported only on one long side) or sits on spurs (cantilever arms sticking out of a vertical frame or a wall), both of which are likely unsuitable for heavy fluid collections as deflection will be in the shorter plane - the shelf will bend downwards towards you, in other words, causing the containers to march like lemmings to the front and topple off.

If the supplier is not able to provide deflection (bending) information, beware. Do the test yourself or refuse to sign off on using them. As Leslie points out, the key factor is point loading, not overall carrying capacity. Jars are point loads; big boxes full of T-shirts are distributed loads. Shelving suitable for the latter might be unacceptable for the former.


Paul Callomon
Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates
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