Aug. 19, 2024
What is a Mezzanine Floor ?
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Mezzanine Floors ( tiers & galleries) when built within an industrial building, between the ground floor and the buildings eaves; with one or more levels or tiers are generally defined as mezzanine floors, raised platform floors or mezzanine flooring. Therefore a Mezzanine Floor is an intermediate floor within the industrial buildings volume. A mezzanine floor will provide additional usable work space and will offer maximum potential within a high roof building, for many applications; including storage and offices. and retail.
Mezzanine Flooring ( mezzanine floors, raised storage platforms and flooring ) can extend to the full limits of the industrial building, from its ground floor footprint to the full limits of the buildings volume (dependent on building control ). In contrast a mezzanine floor platform can also be, only a small percentage of the building. A mezzanine can be just a small storage area or office platform, taking up less than 50% of the industrial building. In these instances,mezzanine floors are not subject to fire protection,unless used for offices or retail purposes. Mezzanine Floors are designed for specific loading requirements ( to save costs and material wastage ) which in turn is based upon the floor slab capabilities subject to assessment.
Mezzanine Floors are generally installed within industrial facilities, Most modern industrial buildings have at least six meter headroom and can easily accommodate a three tier of four tier mezzanine floor installation. The ground floor slab in modern industrial facilities are specifically designed to withstand substantial heavy static and dynamic loading&#;s from fork lift trucks etc and therefore can readily support the imposed loading&#;s from a mezzanine floor. However for excessive loading requirements ( two tier mezzanines for example) it is recommended that a specialist company undertake a core investigation ( core sample ) to ascertain the composition and strength of the slab and the sub soil and the re evaluate.
Mezzanines are not generally subject to additional rent and rates, when they are designed as a free standing structure ( conventional mezzanine floor ) and not connected to the building, which they are installed within. They are classified as a raised storage platform in the same way as an over-racked platform or other storage facility such as pallet racking or shelving. When the mezzanine floor is directly or mechanically connected to the building and its portal frame, then they can ( or ) may be subject to additional rent and rates. Please speak to your Landlords for clarification. Raised storage platforms are designed specifically for special purpose plant and maintenance of existing work areas such as breweries for example.
Mezzanine flooring structures can be installed in relatively low buildings. The mezzanine floor can be designed to have a low profile ( 200mm for example ) and with a height to the underside of mm and a minimum height above of mm ,therefor the minimum height required would be only mm. This would have to increase to a higher building height if a fire rated ceiling was installed and would increase to mm as an example. The benefits of installing a mezzanine floor are realized immediately, with increased space for expansion, additional office areas, storage facilities,assembly areas etc. The cost benefits are realized year after year. The costs saved in terms of rent and rates will easily cover the initial mezzanines investment and within a few years.
The term industrial buildings includes all those facilities traditionally referred to as workshops, factories and warehouses built on modern industrial business and retail parks. Over the past twenty years or so, the use of industrial buildings in the UK has changed in response to the growth of consumerism and now the total volume of the warehouse facility is being used for storage, handling and the rapid processing of goods to the end user. Mezzanine flooring have been at the forefront of this change and mezzanines form the foundations for conveyor systems, shelving and racking, and prepossessing plant and machinery.
Mezzanine Floors &#; How are they constructed
A Mezzanine floor is either bolted directly and connected to the existing portal frame of the building or are free standing ( conventional mezzanine ) and can be dismantled at a later date and rebuilt is required. The Mezzanine area (usually single or two tiered ) are completed with balustrade for public access areas ( shops and retail outlets ) or are fitted with a conventional twin railed handrail system for storage mezzanines.
Mezzanine floors are generally manufactured from universal beams ( main beams ) and are connected within the webs of the beams by galvanized C-Section joists. The joists are bolted to the main beams by galvanized angle brackets called cleats. The secondary beams ( joists or purlins ) are set at 400mm &#; 700mm centers dependent on the loading requirements.
The mezzanine structure is supported at the correct design height by supporting columns. The support columns are generally box sections RHS with square base plates ( 200-700mm depending on load and floor slab ) and top cap plates welded to them. Base plates are bolted to the concrete building slab with two through bolts per column and top cap plates are bolted to the universal columns with 4 bolts. Strut or cross braces are used for stability / sway for smaller floor areas. Decking, usually 38mm high density floor grade chipboard board are screw fixed to the joists with self drilling screws generally 16 per board. Handrail is installed for edge protection to all exposed faces of the mezzanines structure as safety edge protection. Staircase combinations with mid or top landings complete the mezzanine floor and provide access to the mezzanines tiers.
Mezzanines and mezzanine floor ancillaries are designed to British or European standards and must also be approved under Building regulations which take into consideration, escape routs and fire protection. Approved building inspectors liaise with local fire departments and check the structural steel calculations for there conformity. Design criteria is based upon the recommendations of BRE Digest 437
Mezzanine floor Ancillaries &#; Staircases.
The Staircases of a mezzanine floor provide adequate safety for people using the platform levels. The stairs need to conform to approved documents B,K and M, particularly when it provides a means of escape in the case of a fire. The stairs should never be used under any circumstances for moving heavy loads. Special lifting equipment should be provided for this purpose (package conveyors or goods lifts ) for example.
The staircase design is covered by BS: Part 1, BS: Part 3 and BS: Part 5. General guidance on staircase design is contained within the new Approved Document Part K &#; (Section K1 &#; Stairs, Ladders and Ramps) of Building Regulations. This approved document supersedes previous guidance in Approved Documents Part M and Part K relating to staircases and guard railing.
For consideration of means of escape (MOE) in the event of fire, reference should be made to Approved Document Part B.
Mezzanine floor Landings and combinations available
Building Regulations Approved Document Part K &#; Compliant Stairs/Handrail
There are now various options for staircases within Part K1 &#; Stairs, and the old Part K and Part M &#;ambulant disabled staircase&#; has been superseded. The following stair options are now available:
General Access Stair &#; (Industrial)
General Access Stair &#; (Public Access)
Utility &#;Access&#; Stair &#; (Industrial)
Utility &#;Escape&#; Stair &#; (Industrial)
General guidance on the new requirement and characteristics are shown below:
All new mezzanine floors are now required to have a minimum of one General Access Stair. Where a floor has only one access stair, it MUST be of the General Access stair. Where a floor has more than one staircase, at least one must be of a General Access type. All other stairs can be deemed to be for escape purposes only, and be of the Utility &#;Escape&#; stair type.
The width and number of stairs required is dependent on the number of persons using the floor area and travel distances.
Where the floor is a plant platform and the only access required is for maintenance, a Utility &#;Access&#; stair is acceptable.
General Access Stair (Industrial)
The General Access Stair (Industrial) would have mm between handrails, have OPEN rises &#; standard up stand within industrial/storage premises and CLOSED rises &#; within office/retail premises.
Treads with contrasting nosing will be governed by a rise of 150mm (MIN) to 170mm (MAX) and going of250mm (MIN) to 400mm (MAX).
The maximum number of rises allowable is 12 rises per flight, except in &#;small and/or restricted&#; premises, where 16 rises are allowable.
Handrail needs to be contrasting and be a minimum of 50mm diameter (50×25 RHS is acceptable), and this must protrude 300mm beyond both the top and bottom tread nosing, unless it causes an obstruction to a common access route.
General Access Stair (Public Access)
The General Access Stair (Public Access) would be the same as the General Access Stair (Industrial) but would have a clear width between handrails of mm. This stair will always have &#;CLOSED&#; risers as well.
Utility &#;Access&#; Stair (Industrial)
The Utility &#;Access&#; Stair (Industrial) would have a minimum of 800mm between handrails, have OPEN riser treads with contrasting nosing will be governed by a rise of 150mm (MIN) to 190mm (MAX) and going of 250mm (MIN) to 400mm (MAX).
The maximum number of rises allowable is 12 rises per flight, except in &#;small and/or restricted&#; premises, where 16 rises are allowable.
Handrail needs to be a minimum of 50mm diameter (50×25 RHS is acceptable).
Utility &#;Escape&#; Stair (Industrial)
The Utility &#;Escape&#; Stair (Industrial) would be the same as the Utility &#;Access&#; Stair (Industrial) but would NO contrasting tread nosing&#;s, no restriction on the number of treads &#; subject to practical limitations e.g. no more than 25 rises.
Other considerations
An &#;Access Strategy Statement&#; will sometimes overcome the requirement to provide a Disabled Persons Platform Lift by siting the provision of a General Access Stair (for Ambulant Disabled use) in lieu, and assuming that all facilities and areas are replicated on the ground floor accessible areas as are found on the mezzanine level.
Mezzanine Floor Hand-Railing ( Edge Protection )
Mezzanine floor hand-railing, or edge protection is there to form a safety barrier around the exposed faces of the mezzanine. The hand-railing is either standard for storage platforms or for public access or office is generally a vertical bar balustrade system or stainless steel and glass, The edge protection can also be mesh infill panels which offers a more cost effective barrier for public access use.
Mezzanine Floor Balustrade
Stainless steel and glass balustrade adds a feeling of opulence to mezzanines, in particular office and retail mezzanines. Stainless steel and glass balustrade not only looks good but forms a complete protective barrier to open edges of mezzanines. Balustrade ( stainless and glass or vertical balusters ) are essential for public access area.
Having a mezzanine floor is a great way to increase the storage space of a warehouse. Mezzanine floors can also be used as a workspace or observation desk in the warehouse. Today we will discuss how to build a mezzanine floor for the warehouse.
Between the ground and the ceiling of the warehouse, a warehouse mezzanine floor is installed. There can be multiple mezzanine floors on top of one another in a warehouse. Stairs are needed to go to the mezzanine floors.
Many warehouses around the world use the mezzanine floor to increase storage space of their warehouse. When a mezzanine floor is built, the place below it and over it is accessible too.
build a warehouse mezzanineIn our today&#;s article, we will discuss the following things:
This article will be especially beneficial for the following group of people:
Equipment That Is Needed To Build The Mezzanine Floors.
There is much equipment that is needed while constructing the mezzanine floor. Some of the important tools and machines that are needed to build the mezzanine floors are as follows:
Measuring Tape
The measuring tape is a must-have piece of equipment while installing the mezzanine floor. You will need it in many places in building the mezzanine floor, which includes,
A measuring tape is needed to ensure you have constructed the mezzanine floor according to the plan. A measuring tape is a very cheap tool compared to other expensive handling equipment like forklifts.
From the workers to the engineers, everyone should use a measuring tape to ensure the accuracy of the calculation.
Forklifts
While installing a mezzanine floor, forklifts are used for the following purposes:
Ladder
Ladders are essential equipment that is needed to construct the warehouse mezzanine floor. While building a mezzanine floor, you need to work on different heights to install mezzanine floors.
It is recommended to have multiple ladders of different sizes while constructing the mezzanine floor.
Drill Machine
While building a mezzanine floor, you need to make holes in various parts of the structure, which include,
Bi-Energy Scissor Lift
This machine has a broad deck and massive lift capabilities. That&#;s why these machines can be used in the building of the mezzanine floor. The operation of this scissor lift is comparable to that of an electric machine.
This qualifies it for use indoors where limited fuel emissions are necessary. This machine&#;s Fuel option charges the battery. As a result, it can be used for more work even when there is no electricity.
Safety Glasses
Like other construction activities, building a mezzanine also creates a lot of dust. To protect eyes from dust and other harmful elements, safety glasses should be used.
Wide Deck Scissor Lifts
Electric-powered wide deck scissor lifts have the following capabilities:
Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers are used to fix screws. Power drills and electric screwdrivers are not always superior to manual screwdrivers. Manual screwdrivers don&#;t fall off since their heads are affixed to their bodies.
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Additionally, using manual screwdrivers enables more accurate screwing and unscrewing. On the other hand, using electric screwdrivers generally helps to complete the work faster.
Depending on your needs, you may choose a manual or electric screwdriver for your mezzanine construction.
Wrenches
While building a mezzanine floor, you have to use many nuts and bolts. The wrench is an instrument that is typically sized for a specific kind of nut or bolt.
The open head&#;s metal edges can firmly grasp a nut of a certain size. As a result, the worker can twist the tool to tighten as well as loosen the nut.
Safety Helmet
Any object or structure could fall while development is underway. A safety helmet needs to be worn in needed to shield the head from harm or any tragic accidents.
Gloves
To work safely, workers should use gloves while working.
Telehandlers
That extra flexibility can be provided by telehandlers while building large objects. Because of the additional flexibility, it affords in putting big objects into place.
Sledge Hammers
Whenever the ground is hard, a sledgehammer can be used. The hardwood handle has a huge weighted metal head that can be used to crack tough layers. As a result, digging becomes easier.
How To Build A Mezzanine Floor For Warehouse?
After you have decided on you&#;re preferred type of mezzanine floor, it&#;s time to build it. Now, we will give you a detailed step-by-step guide related to the mezzanine floor installation.
Mezzanine design planning prior to building a mezzanine floor
Before building the mezzanine floor, it&#;s necessary to have a design of the mezzanine floor. The mezzanine floor drawing should at least include the following things:
Establish the overall dimensions of the mezzanine that you require (width and length). It should clearly state in the design how many columns and primary beams the mezzanine floors should have.
Then, establish the clearance height that is required. You might need to allow enough height so that your forklift can pass underneath the mezzanine.
While you lay out the design of the mezzanine floor, it is recommended to contact a structural engineer. The largest product you will keep on the mezzanine will determine the size of steel that is needed. Depending on the weight per m2 footprint, this calculation was made.
A typical weight capacity utilized in mezzanine floor engineering calculations is 500 kg/m2. A structural engineer is needed to calculate this type of calculation.
Planning The Layout Of The Mezzanine FloorIf you want to know more about mezzanine floor design related topics, please read mezzanine floor design.
Adequate security
The most crucial aspect to take into account while building mezzanine floors is safety. For instance, handrails are required on any stairs that lead to the mezzanine floor of the warehouse.
If the floor is open, you must make sure that a guardrail is installed. A guardrail will prevent people from falling from the mezzanine floor edge.
You should consider fire safety into consideration too, regardless of usage or building regulations. It is strongly advised that you consider safety when making plans and get expert advice.
Safety and the number of columns and beams should be specifically included in the mezzanine floor design. There are also other things like stairs, guardrails, etc should be included in the mezzanine floor design. We will discuss these things in the later part of this article.
You should keep the space clean where the mezzanine floor will be installed. If there is any kind of debris or trash in that place, it should be removed.
Slab capacity should be considered while building the mezzanine floor. Warehouses should have at least 125 PSF (Pound Per Square Foot) slab capacity. In warehouses, the floor slab should be at least six inches thick.
Step 1:
Using concrete bolts, plate the bottom of the columns and screw them to the ground. You will need to use a drill machine to attach the plate of the columns to the ground.
Step 2:
After you have successfully attached the plate of the column, then cut the column to the desired height. Also, cut the beam to the desired mezzanine length.
Step 3:
Beams and columns are the main structures of the mezzanine floor. After successfully completing steps 1 & 2, now attach the column and beams of the mezzanine floors.
Step 4:
After the formation of the main structure, now put the mezzanine platform on top of the columns and beams. Make sure the screws of mezzanine platforms are properly attached to columns and beams.
Step 5:
Without building the stairs, the construction of the mezzanine floor is incomplete. To climb the platform of the mezzanine floor, using the stair is necessary, After you have created the mezzanine platform, now is the time to construct mezzanine stairs.
You can construct the stairs by adding the handrails of the stairs first. Then, attach the steps of the stairs one by one with the handrails. Make sure you have maintained the exact distance of the steps of the stairs.
Step 6:
After successfully constructing the mezzanine platform and stairs, now it&#;s time to install guardrails. Guardrail ensures the safety of the goods and workers who will work on the side of the mezzanine platform.
Attach the guardrail to the mezzanine platform&#;s ground with screws and plates. Use drill machines to attach it faster to the ground. Make sure the guardrails you are installing cover the entire side of the mezzanine platform.
Mezzanine floors can function without guardrails. However, warehouse owners should install it for their benefit. Because it will give protection to the workers and goods from falling.
mezzanine floor installationColumns, Beams, Guardrails, Stairs, Braces
While building a mezzanine floor, it is very especially important to install the following things properly:
To know more about how these things should be installed on a mezzanine floor, mezzanine floor installation will be helpful.
Once you have successfully installed the mezzanine floor, now it&#;s time to check if everything is alright. The calculation is a major part of the construction of the mezzanine floor. So, make sure distances like the column to column, steps to steps of stairs, etc are maintained.
You can use a measuring tape to accurately measure the distance. Also, check if the screws are tightened properly.
Now, your warehouse mezzanine floors are ready to use! Keep it as storage for goods in your warehouse or use it for other purposes as well.
warehouse storage mezzanine manufactureInternation Building Code is a set of rules and regulations related to buildings. International Building Code has also some regulations related to the mezzanine floors.
The latest version of the International Building Codes is . IBC is followed in most of the states across the USA.
There may be specific mezzanine floor laws that are legislated in your country. For instance, in the USA, the &#;International Building Code(IBC)&#; is widely followed for mezzanine floor-related regulations.
Similarly, you should find out the relevant law related to the mezzanine floor of your country and follow it.
There are some specific rules and regulations of the IBC related to the mezzanine floors. About the height, the International Building Code states in chapter 5; section 505.2,
&#;A mezzanine or mezzanines in compliance with Section 505.2 shall be considered a portion of the story below. Such mezzanines shall not contribute to either the building area or number of stories as regulated by section 503.1.&#;
&#;The area of the mezzanine shall be included in determining the fire area. The clear height above and below the mezzanine floor construction shall be not less than 7 feet(2. meters).&#;
So, the height of the mezzanine platforms above and below should not be less than 2. meters. About the openness of the mezzanine floor, section 505.2.3 states,
&#;A Mezzanine shall be open and unobstructed to the room in which such mezzanine is located except for walls not more than 42 inches (1. meters) in height, columns, and posts.&#;
This IBC also states that you should not have a mezzanine floor of more than one-third of the warehouse&#;s ground. According to section 505.2.1 of the International Building Code,
&#;The aggregate area of a mezzanine or mezzanine within a room shall not be greater than one-third of the floor area of that room or space in which they are located.
The enclosed portion of a room shall not be included in a determination of the floor area of the room in which the mezzanine is located. In determining the allowable mezzanine area, the area of the mezzanine shall not be included in the floor area of the room.&#;
So, these are some of the regulations of the International Building Code related to the mezzanine floors.
No, following The International Building Code is not mandatory at all in countries except the USA.
The majority of the states of the USA follow the International Building Code. So, these regulations do not apply to warehouses located outside the USA.
The rules and regulations of the International Building Code are very logical. If warehouses follow these rules and regulations, it is for their good.
No, you don&#;t need planning permission to build a mezzanine floor.
The mezzanine floor which is constructed in the warehouse is mostly temporary. It is built upon the floor of the warehouse. It can be easily assembled and disassembled too. That&#;s why no planning permission is needed to build a mezzanine floor in the warehouse.
Cheapest Way To Build A Mezzanine Floor.
Mezzanine floors are custom-made. So, it is almost impossible to get a second-hand mezzanine floor from any other warehouse. So, you have to buy mezzanine floors from the manufacturers.
The first way to build a mezzanine floor is to buy the mezzanine floor from China. The price of the mezzanine floor is cheaper compared to the western nations.
This is because Chinese factories can produce mezzanine floors in huge quantities. Additionally, the labor cost in China is lower compared to the western nations.
You should also install the mezzanine floors from Chinese manufacturers too. Because their installation cost is lower than other European and American countries.
So, ordering and installing the mezzanine floor from China is the cheapest way to build a mezzanine floor.
If you want to learn more about issues related to mezzanine floor cost, pleas read mezzanine floor cost.
This article discusses in great detail how to build a mezzanine floor. Feel free to contact us for any kind of inquiry related to building a mezzanine floor.
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