[Nhcoll-l] Compactor/mobile storage systems for paleo collections

[Lazo-Wasem, Eric]

Hi Tiffany,

Although not fossils, our coral range is filled with a lot of dense, heavy species such as Diploria, although I don't have tech specs for how much I am actually moving.  Additionally, to get more packed into the dry specimen storage room, we placed 5 foot cabinets of 4 footers, so that adds extra weight compared to more standard configurations of 4 over 4.  However, in some areas with lighter material I can move a few ranges at once, but the corals, not really possible to do it.  BTW - our cabinets all have doors, so it is quite a bit of steel weight even before we packed in the specimens.

Despite a tightly closed environment, we recently dealt with flooding as the roof of an infill building was being married to my building.  The rails rusted but this has not impacted function. With use the rails clean up and given my focus on fluid collections (where I am constantly accessing different tier ranges) the dry collection can sit for weeks unmoved - never has this been an issue.

Eric

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Adrain, Tiffany S
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 12:37 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Compactor/mobile storage systems for paleo collections

Hi everyone,

If you manage a paleontology collection in compactor (aka mobile) storage, I'd be grateful from some insight into the ease at which carriages full of fossils can be moved. I am planning new storage in a warehouse-style facility

Do you have any difficulty in moving the heaviest carriages along the rails in your collection? If so, what would be the maximum weight/volume per rail you'd recommend.

Have you had any problems maintaining the carriage rails in a variable relative humidity environment (any problem with rusting or seizing up), especially when the carriages are not moved very often?

Any advice or tips you can give me are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Tiffany


Tiffany Adrain (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Collections Manager, Paleontology Repository
Instructor, Museum Studies Certificate Program
Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Iowa
115 Trowbridge Hall
Iowa City, Iowa, 52242

phone: 319 335 1822
fax: 319 335 1821
email: tiffany-adrain at uiowa.edu<mailto:tiffany-adrain at uiowa.edu>
website: https://clas.uiowa.edu/ees/

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