Arms with no front column, so nothing blocks the load. Built for lumber, pipe, steel, panel and anything else too long for a pallet rack.
If your product is longer than a pallet, cantilever is not one option among several. It is usually the only one that works.
A cantilever bay is a vertical column on a wide base, with arms projecting out from one or both sides. Because there is no upright at the front, a forklift can place a twenty foot length across several arms without fighting a frame.
Arms bolt into the column at adjustable heights, so you set the levels around what you actually store and change them later if the product does. Arms are supplied in light, medium and heavy duty, since a rack holding drywall and a rack holding steel bar are not the same rack.
Unlike pallet racking, the loads here act in bending on the arm and try to tip the column, so base length, arm capacity and floor anchoring all have to be engineered together. Every system is signed off on site before you load it.
Arm capacity, base length and column spacing are engineered together. These are typical ranges, not fixed limits.
| Specification | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Load Access | Full frontal access, no upright blocking the load |
| Configuration | Single sided against a wall, or double sided on open floor |
| Arm Length | Commonly 24 to 72 in, matched to product depth |
| Arm Capacity | Light, medium and heavy duty. Typically 500 to 5,000 lb per arm |
| Column Height | Commonly 8 to 20 ft, limited by clear height and load |
| Column Spacing | Set so the load rests on at least two arms, usually three |
| Steel Type | Structural. Arms are loaded in bending, not compression |
| Base and Anchors | Base length and floor anchoring engineered against tipping |
| Best Suited To | Lumber, pipe, tube, bar, panel, sheet, furniture, tyres |
Figures are typical, not a specification. Arm capacity is rated per arm, so we need your longest and heaviest load before we quote anything.
Cantilever solves one problem extremely well and most other problems badly. The question is simply whether your product is long.
For long or awkward stock, nothing else really competes.
Storing long stock? Book a free site assessment and bring us your longest and heaviest load.
Cantilever costs more per square foot than pallet racking. Only pay for it if you need what it does.
Try selective for palletised stock, industrial shelving for hand-picked parts, or drive-in for bulk density.
Per arm, not per level. A rack rated at 2,000 lb per arm with three arms under a load carries 6,000 lb across that span, provided the weight is spread evenly. That is why we ask for your heaviest single item and your longest one, since they are often not the same product.
Because the load hangs out in front of the column and tries to tip it. The base length and the floor anchors are what resist that. It is the reason cantilever cannot be sized by eye, and the reason nobody should be adding arms to an existing rack without checking the base was designed for it.
Single sided goes against a wall and uses less floor. Double sided stands in the open with arms both ways, giving you roughly twice the storage per column and per base, which usually makes it the cheaper option per position if you have the floor for it.
Yes, with galvanised or painted finish and engineering for wind and snow loading. It is common for lumber yards and steel suppliers. Outdoor installs need their own anchoring design, so tell us at the assessment rather than after.
Yes. Arms bolt into the column and can be repositioned as your product changes. Keep in mind that moving arms changes the rated configuration, so the capacity signage needs updating and in most cases the system should be reviewed before it is reloaded.
The systems most often used alongside or instead of cantilever.
