Steel Plate Storage
Steel Plate Storage That Handles the Weight
Steel plate is heavy, hard to move, and eats floor space when stored in stacks. Dexco® storage systems organize plate for safer handling, easier access, and better use of your space, engineered from 50 KSI wide-flange I-beams and built around how you load and pick.
Protect Your Floor
Concentrated plate loads can exceed what a slab was poured to carry. We engineer the rack layout and footprint around your floor’s real load rating to keep it safe under load.
Built for Loading
Separating and lifting extreme weight is where plate handling goes wrong. Open, obstruction-free bays give cranes and forklifts room to position and work with precision.
Sort by Grade
Mixed plate in one pile means slow, risky digs for the right piece. Organized bays keep every grade and thickness staged and reachable, so the right stock is always ready.
Plate Rack Specifications
Material handling and access
The right layout depends on how your team moves sheets in and out. Dexco systems are engineered around your equipment and press-line workflow.
- Optimized sheet and bundle access during loading and unloading to speed up order picking
- Compatible with forklifts, cranes, hoists, and automated handling systems
- Open design enables forklift access and easy handling of varying sheet sizes
- Heavy bundles held securely and flat to reduce strain and accident risk
- Organize by gauge, size, or job so the right stock is always reachable
Structural specifications
Standard construction
- Structural I-beam framing engineered to AISC standards for lateral rigidity
- Engineered to support sheet bundle loads well beyond standard 20,000-lb arm ratings
- Higher load capacity than comparable roll-formed or tube-steel racks
- Bolted shelf beams adjust in 4-inch increments as tooling needs change
- Beams attach to columns with ASTM A325 structural bolts
- Predrilled baseplates allow a secure anchor-bolt connection to the floor
- Modular bays add easily; bundled columns and beams ship cost-effectively
- Factory-applied powder-coat finish for rust and wear protection
Available options
- Single or double-sided models to match aisle layout
- Flat decks, open beams, forklift entry bars, or removable panels
- Backstop beams to keep sheets from being pushed off the back
- Standard or shed configurations for indoor or outdoor storage
- Hot-dip galvanized coating for corrosion protection in harsh or outdoor settings
- Standard designs for shorter lead times, or custom engineering for unique needs
Storing heavy steel sheet bundles that turn over daily in a service center? That is exactly the kind of throughput our engineering team designs around. Share your specs, and we will scope it!
Best Solutions for Steel Plate Storage
Not sure which fits? Share your sheet sizes, bundle weights, and handling method, and we’ll design the right system.
Floor Racking Systems
Floor-beam designs hold sheet bundles on beam-supported bays at ground level. Floor racks are rugged, simple to use, and fast to load.
Cantilever Racking Systems
A strong fit where clear arm access matters more than maximum stacked density, and available in standard or outdoor shed configurations.
Common Questions About Steel Plate Racking
How much weight can a steel plate storage rack hold, and what sets the capacity?
Dexco plate racks are built from 50 KSI wide-flange I-beams. Cantilever arms support up to 20,000 lbs each and floor bays up to 40,000 lbs, with higher capacities available through custom engineering. Capacity is set by arm or bay length, plate dimensions, level spacing, and your floor’s load rating — our engineers calculate it from the weight and size of your typical plate, with safety factors built in. The heaviest plate goes on floor-level bays rated for its dead weight.
Should steel plate be stored on cantilever racks or floor racks?
Steel plate stores well two ways. Cantilever racks suit long or large plate picked from the front with open access, and floor racks hold the heaviest plate near ground level, loaded by forklift or crane. Vertical posts keep plate separated to prevent scratching and warping. We recommend the mix that fits your plate sizes, weights, and handling method.
How do you store different plate sizes, from thin gauge to thick industrial plate?
Adjustable arm and level spacing accommodate varied thicknesses on one system. Thinner plate can be stored at closer spacing for density, while the heaviest thick plate sits on floor-level bays rated for its dead weight. The design optimizes density while keeping every grade and thickness safely accessible. All systems are designed to your operational goals.
Request a quote
Tell us about your steel plate storage needs.
Share your plate grades, sizes, weights, handling method, and project requirements.
Our engineering team will scope a storage system built around your operation.