IBCs are common anywhere you’re handling a lot of liquids. They’re typically in a 1000L cubic space, which tends to make people assume you’re dealing with about a tonne per unit. But once you get into the reality of what’s inside them, IBCs become a more interesting challenge for pallet racking and storage than a standard pallet load.
Don’t assume the weight is “about a tonne”
An IBC might look like it’s roughly a one-tonne load, but some liquids are quite dense. Once you’re talking 1,000 litres of fluid, it can be significantly more than a tonne depending on what you’re storing. That’s why weight needs to be confirmed based on the actual product, not assumed off the container size.
Liquids create dynamic load, not static load
A key issue with IBCs is the dynamic load within the container. Liquid sloshing inside an IBC creates a unique challenge because the load isn’t fixed in the same way as a static pallet. As the fluid shifts, the forces on the racking change. That movement needs to be accounted for in the design.
Plan for racking integrity to be boosted where required
Because the load is both potentially heavier than expected and dynamic as the fluid shifts, the integrity of the rack often needs to be boosted to cater for that change in dynamic load over time. This is one of those storage challenges where more attention is paid now than it has been in the past, and it’s worth treating it that way during the planning stage rather than after the system is already in.
A simple way to approach IBC racking planning
When you’re planning IBC storage in racking, the practical approach is:
- Confirm the actual full weight, as some liquids are quite dense and can be significantly more than a tonne at 1,000 litres.
- Treat it as a dynamic load scenario, as liquid sloshing and fluid shifting changes how the load behaves.
- Design the racking so the system is suited to those conditions, with integrity boosted where required to handle dynamic load over time.
Contact QLD Storage Systems Today
If you’re planning to store IBCs in selective pallet racking and want to make sure the system is suited to the real load and the dynamic behaviour of liquids, get in touch with QLD Storage Systems. We can talk through what you’re storing, how you’re handling it, and recommend a new or second hand pallet racking approach that’s fit for purpose.
About Mennolt Regtien
Mennolt Regtien brings more than 20 years of hands-on experience in the storage and pallet racking industry in Australia, backed by a broader career spent helping businesses grow, improve productivity and solve operational challenges. Before moving into pallet racking and storage systems, he spent around 10 years consulting to small and medium businesses on growth and development, and earlier worked in venture capital and startups, including helping Australasian companies expand into Asian and US markets.
His experience helps him look beyond the racking itself to understand each client’s wider business goals, identify operational issues quickly, and recommend storage solutions that support both efficiency and future growth.
