Mezzanines
Build up, not out. Take full advantage of your facility’s vertical space with a warehouse mezzanine. With sturdy steel construction and a variety of configurations and flooring options, you can develop a custom storage solution with ease.
Vertical Space Efficiency
In warehouses, space is always at a premium. While facility expansion is sometimes an option, a warehouse mezzanine is the perfect solution to take advantage of vertical industrial storage space at a much more reasonable cost. That’s why mezzanines have become standard additions to warehouses all across the U.S.
Mezzanines look pretty simple, but they pack a variety of practical applications:
- Extra storage
- Space for production activities
- Equipment position and support
- Offices and other worker areas
- Walkways/catwalks
- Order picking modules
Regardless of how you use your mezzanine, it’ll increase your usable floor space and reduce the downtime and other roadblocks associated with new construction.
What to Know Before You Buy a Mezzanine
Before purchasing and installing a mezzanine, keep these considerations in mind:
Mezzanine Location
Where in your building will you install the mezzanine?
Facility Factors
What is your slab floor’s capacity? What about the ceiling height?
Understanding these factors will help you determine the design of your mezzanine structure. If you’re in doubt, working with an experienced team of designers and engineers can help you make sure you have all the room you need — not only for operation but also safety.
Point Loading
Point loading is the application of a very heavy load or applications of dynamic force on a small area of the structure. This could be areas on the mezzanine floor with stacked storage items or heavy equipment.
Understanding point loading is essential for the design process. Don’t go in just hoping that everything will work out — make these calculations early and correctly. And if you need help, reach out to East Coast Storage Equipment.
Column Load
Mezzanine column base plates need proper placement and correct sizing for safe use. Interior columns often bear the most weight because they support the most square footage. Larger base plates can help, but they often don’t fully compensate for extremely heavy loads.
You’ll also need to consider federal, state, and local safety regulations and building codes. These will often depend on your location and seismic zone, but not always.
All mezzanine construction should meet IBC, AISC, and ASTM standards, as well as OSHA warehouse requirements for safe operation.
Floor Load Considerations and Uniformed Load
While a mezzanine can be the perfect addition to your business, making sure your floor can handle the extra weight is critical. Too much weight can cause a concrete floor to crack — or worse.
A typical concrete floor with a 6” slab can handle around 25,000 lbs. safely. But it’s not just about thickness.
You’ll also need to think about soil compression, or how the slab compresses the soil underneath it. In some situations, soil compression can reduce the capacity of the concrete floor significantly — sometimes by 50% or more.
The characteristics of both the concrete floor and the soil underneath play an important role in determining overall capacity and whether your facility can handle the weight of a mezzanine.
But don’t worry: If your floor doesn’t seem to support the intended mezzanine construction, you still have options.
First, you’ll want to consult with an architect about footers for each column. Footers will help reinforce portions of the floor. Here is how it works:
- First, a contractor will cut a portion of the floor out.
- Next, they’ll dig out the soil underneath.
- Last, they’ll pour concrete that will be capable of handling the mezzanine load.
Uniformed Load and Columns
Understanding uniformed load will help you better understand column number and placement for your mezzanine. Remember that interior columns will often handle more of the load.
Your uniformed load will designate capacity per square foot. For example, a light-duty mezzanine, according to IBC parameters, can handle 125 lbs. per square foot.
Taking that number and multiplying it by the projected total square foot will give you column loading. Here is the formula to use:
Column loading: total (sq. ft) * (uniformed load) (lbs./sq. ft) = lbs. supported by each column
Note that this is only an estimate. Always consult with professionals for the most accurate design parameters for your unique situation.
Decking and Accessories
Decking choice is another key consideration when you’re planning a mezzanine. There are several decking options available, each with unique characteristics and advantages:
Roof Deck and Resin Board
This is one of the most cost-effective systems. It’s a great choice for a variety of applications. And it often comes in 20-gauge steel roof decking.
Bar Grating
Bar grating offers an open design that is perfect for ventilation and fire hazard concerns. But keep in mind that heavier items need to be bolted down at all times. And wheeled equipment can struggle with this decking choice because the wheels become stuck in the grating.
Roof Deck and Floor Plate
Twenty-gauge steel roof deck over a 12-gauge floor plate is the right choice for heavy loads. It’s also compatible with wheeled equipment like pallet jacks or carts.
Concrete
Often paired with a roof deck, concrete is a solid choice for fire ratings and chemical applications. Just keep in mind that this decking option is not mountable.
You can also add a variety of accessories to a mezzanine for productivity and safety reasons:
- Guardrails
- Safety gates
- Swing gates
- Conveyors
- Vertical lifts
Custom Mezzanine Solutions for Your Business
Need to maximize your facility’s vertical storage space? We can help you find the right mezzanine or your warehouse. Browse our used stock today or contact us for custom solutions.
Mezzanine Types
From free-standing to catwalk, you’ll find several different types of mezzanines and mezzanine components in our inventory. To help you make the most informed buying decision, let’s take a look at those different types of used mezzanines now.
Free-Standing Mezzanines
Free-standing mezzanines, also known as structural or clear-span mezzanines, are a cost-effective solution for adding storage to your warehouse or distribution center. Unlike other mezzanine types — like rack-supported mezzanines — free-standing mezzanines rely on structural columns for support.
Rack-Supported Mezzanines
Rack-supported mezzanines typically use pallet racking frames for support instead of traditional mezzanine columns. The exception would be if the mezzanine floor needs to support a higher weight capacity. Then you’d reinforce it with mezzanine columns.
Shelving-Supported Mezzanines
Shelving-supported mezzanines use boltless shelving components or rack uprights to support the structure. Like rack-supported configurations, shelving-supported mezzanines are cost-effective. And they offer added shelf storage — that’s never a bad thing in a facility like yours.
Mezzanine Catwalks
Catwalk mezzanines help workers move through your facility without interrupting the workflow down on the floor. From directing worker traffic to offering viewing platforms for upper management, this type of mezzanine can solve a ton of different warehouse problems.
East Coast Storage Equipment: Your Go-To Mezzanine Supplier
At East Coast Storage Equipment, we not only carry a wide selection of used mezzanines of all kinds, but can also assist with the design and installation process.
Our experts are on standby to help you with every step of the process. We’ll make sure your mezzanine is perfect for your facility and installed correctly, according to rigorous industry standards.
We can also build out custom mezzanines. Our in-house fabrication department has built hundreds of mezzanines and other pieces of custom equipment for our clients. No matter what your facility needs, we’ve got the equipment and expertise to make it a reality. Get in touch today to learn more about your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
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