Don't let this happen to you!

Every year during the holiday season, there are accidents caused by poorly structured gift stacks. These accidents cause millions of dollars in damage each year. At the moment, not a single state requires permits for gift stacking...but we're working on that.

The three main failure mechanisms that occur during gift stack collapse are in-plane shear, out-of-plane bending, and localized box-flange buckling. In-plane shear failure occurs during seismic events due to the low coefficient of friction between wrapping paper. Out of plane bending occurs mainly due to overly excited children running into the side of the present stack, and finally localized box-flange buckling occurs due to the incorrect stacking order.

A few simple rules to help you avoid most present collapses are as follows:

In-plane shear failure:

• Wrap gifts in sand paper instead of wrapping paper.
• Staple gifts together using ASTM A325 staples.

Out-of-plane bending failure:

• Secure perimeter of stack with child obstacles like gates or electric fences.
• Hide gifts from children, explain that there are no presents this year, surprise only moments before opening time. 

Box-flange localized buckling failure:

• Stack heavy items on the bottom and light weight items on top.
• Avoid cardboard boxes. Instead, use structural steel cages. 

By following these simple rules, and having your stack approved by a structural engineer (holiday rates available), you can avoid a holiday disaster!