Question 676 Deck General

The correct answer is B) racking. The lashings on a stack of containers with interlocking fittings restrain the forces that cause racking, which is the distortion of the container frame due to horizontal forces acting on the stack. Racking can cause the stack to become unstable and potentially collapse. The lashings help to prevent this by keeping the containers tightly secured and resisting the horizontal forces that would otherwise lead to racking. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the primary purpose of the lashings. Crushing, toppling, and buckling are other potential failure modes for container stacks, but the lashings are specifically designed to address racking forces.