Sep. 09, 2024
When growth outpaces available space, expansion is often on the mind. But, in today&#;s tight real estate market, options for physical expansion are limited and often expensive.
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This is exactly when adding a warehouse mezzanine system becomes an excellent solution. A mezzanine can offer additional space within the existing footprint of a warehouse, but it requires careful and informed planning.
Understanding the specifics of your needs and the limitations of your current space is crucial before proceeding with any type of installation. You can&#;t go down to the local mezzanine store and pick one the same way you buy a car.
So, when it comes to warehouse mezzanine capacity, what do you need to know?
Understanding Mezzanine UseBefore we begin, it&#;s critical that you know and understand how you intend to use the mezzanine. Ask yourself and your team: what&#;s the planned use for this mezzanine? There&#;s a huge difference between using a mezzanine for more office space and light storage and using it for heavy manufacturing or storing three-ton parts.
Each use case comes with its own set of requirements and challenges. It&#;s vital to understand these distinctions as they directly impact the capacity and design of the mezzanine.
Here are a few more use cases to help you better understand how a mezzanine might integrate into your business:
Each one of these use cases will demand different capacities, so it&#;s essential that you start here first. Failing to do so can lead to inadequate or overbuilt structures that don&#;t align with your operational needs.
How to Calculate Mezzanine Load CapacityCapacity is about weight, but that&#;s not all.
It&#;s how that weight is distributed across a platform. That&#;s why it would be so difficult to build a functioning mezzanine load capacity calculator. The capacity requirements for a mezzanine vary based on how the mezzanine is used and even the type of mezzanine you need.
The International Building Code provides general capacity guidelines measured in pounds per square foot (psf):
Keep in mind that these numbers only provide a basic framework and should be tailored to your specific needs and uses. If you have any questions about this process, it&#;s best to get in touch with experienced mezzanine builders and installers, like the team here at East Coast Storage Equipment.
Structural FoundationsThe success of a warehouse mezzanine system installation relies heavily on the equipment&#;s foundation. Typically, a warehouse floor slab, which is about six to eight inches thick, provides the base for the mezzanine.
This thickness generally supports about 25,000 lbs, adequate for most mezzanine types and applications.
However, the actual capacity depends significantly on the quality of the soil beneath the slab. For instance, sandy soil or areas with a high water table might necessitate additional support to bear the load.
For extra support, concrete footings are a common solution. Here, holes are cut through the existing slab, unstable soil is removed, and then concrete is poured in to replace the hole. The mezzanine&#;s columns will rest on these new footings and make sure that the structure is adequately supported.
This can be an expensive process and time-consuming, but it&#;s crucial for the long-term stability and safety of the structure.
You should always consult a building architect or engineer and confirm the slab is capable of supporting the increased load. An engineer will determine the concrete footing needed. That person will also have the final say and guarantee the mezzanine is rated for the required capacity.
Alternatively, a less expensive option to concrete footings is designing the mezzanine columns closer together. This reduces column load while providing the necessary support.
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Determining Mezzanine Size and StructureDeciding on the dimensions of a mezzanine is an important step, one that will not only affect usable space but also structural requirements. An integral part of this process is deciding how many columns will support the structure and how they will be spaced.
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For example, consider a 20&#; x 20&#; mezzanine supported by nine load-bearing columns placed at 10&#; intervals, including one in the center.
This setup would distribute the mezzanine&#;s uniform load across each column, with each one supporting around 12,500 lbs. Keep in mind that if you require more open space beneath the mezzanine, the column spacing might need adjustment.
It&#;s important to remember that increasing the span between columns can decrease the uniform load each one can support.
The mezzanine&#;s size and column placement are critical in determining both the uniform load capacity and the point load capacity &#; the amount of weight that can be safely supported in a specific area of the mezzanine. A thorough understanding of these factors is crucial in designing a mezzanine that is both functional and safe.
Addressing Point Load ConcernsUnderstanding point loads and their impact is a critical aspect of mezzanine design and capacity planning. Point loads refer to concentrated weight in specific areas of the mezzanine rather than evenly distributed weight. These loads can significantly affect the structural integrity and safety of the mezzanine.
Some examples of point loads include:
These concentrated weights can lead to things like deck damage due to strain or, in more severe cases, the structural failure of the mezzanine. When designing and planning for a mezzanine, it is essential to consider these point loads:
Investing in a warehouse mezzanine system adds additional vertical space and can enhance overall facility operations in many different ways. The key is understanding the capacity requirements. From assessing the structural foundations and understanding capacity requirements to addressing point load concerns, each step is crucial.
To make sure these capacity and space considerations are taken seriously, consult with the experts. Engaging with experts and considering every aspect of mezzanine usage ensures a safe, efficient, and sustainable addition to your warehouse space.
Get in touch with the East Coast Storage Equipment team to learn more about your mezzanine options.
What will be the maximum load rating for my mezzanine floor? This is a very valid question and something our Design Technicians are routinely asked about. The truth is that there is no immediate direct answer, although a precise calculation can be provided once crucial information about your space, requirements and preferences have been gathered. As unexciting as it sounds, calculating the weight load capacity of a potential mezzanine floor installation is in fact one of the most important aspects of the design. This is because structural and occupant safety depends on these calculations being accurate.
When you see a mezzanine floor in a building, you are looking at a structure that has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of that particular operation. This could be a retail mezzanine floor which has been implemented to provide additional product display areas, or a warehouse mezzanine floor used to accommodate pallets or shelving systems. Production mezzanine floors are often required to safely hold the weight of heavy machinery or equipment whilst an office mezzanine would need to safely support numerous people carrying out their office based duties. So, when we consider such variations, it&#;s easy to see why weight load capacity does vary from mezzanine to mezzanine.
For a maximum weight load capacity to be determined, various factors must be taken into account during the design stage, but before we go all technical, let&#;s underline the reasons why the mezzanine floor solution is so remarkable!
The mezzanine floor installation enables the expansion of productive space without there being any need for substantial construction work. Rather than extend outward, the much needed new space is installed overhead, approximately midway between the existing ground floor and ceiling. Almost a floating floor, the mezzanine platform is a duplication of the footprint area below it, giving you double the practical space within the same surface area. This is a much more affordable and convenient way of acquiring more space when compared to the prospects of a building extension or relocating the business. Besides the necessity of sufficient height space, there is very little preventing the mezzanine floor option from becoming a reality. There is no discouraging list of business types or industries for which the mezzanine floor is not suitable and with the right weight load capacity, a mezzanine floor can safely support any business activity!
The term &#;maximum weight load capacity&#; means the utmost weight that the structure can safely support. All mezzanine floor structures manufactured by WSL are made up of steel sections and to the stringent BS EN -1-3 and UK National Annexes, however the quantity, thickness, spacing and size of the sections will vary in accordance to the required weight load and how the load is distributed across the platform:
Where sections are too slight and outspread, a deflection of the floor is much more likely under a heavy load and this can very easily result in the floor falling through. This is why you&#;re WSL Design Technician is always keen to understand your operation and how you intend to use the space provided by the mezzanine platform.
Columns are the vertical section of the structure and serve as resting compression to the horizontal purlins that support the activities on the flat floor surface. The use of columns are unavoidable because without them, the floor couldn&#;t be elevated nor could it be safely supported, however the column grid can be designed to suit the activities on the floor below. Where a smaller grid might cause obstruction, the grid can be widened, creating more space between the columns which would then sit on a wider base plate to ensure stability and effective weight load support.
The material used to create the floor surface covering the steel sections can also vary in accordance to the weight of activates taking place on the platform. Whilst &#;standard&#; 38mm T&G HD particle boards is more than adequate in many instances, oriented strand board (OSB), birch plywood, steel or even concrete can also be an option.
Safety!! This is the most significant reason why our designers prioritise weigh load capacity as part of the design. No business owner would want to endure the anguish and consequences of a serious incident as a result of weight overload on the mezzanine platform. As an employer or business owner the responsibility of ensuring occupant safety as they access the mezzanine floor structure or the area around it, rests with you. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) states that employees must not face unnecessary risk when using workplace equipment, and the use of a mezzanine floor comes under this category.
Calculating the correct weight load capacity means to appropriately quantify and configure the components. The final calculations are based on a combination of:
But, rather than trying to get your head around weight load specifics and calculations, you can just leave this to your WSL mezzanine floor design expert, who will use the information gathered from yourself during the site survey to calculate the appropriate weight load capacity.
Once you have established the weight load capacity of your mezzanine floor, it is important to communicate this to your workforce. Without access to this vital information, it could be quite easy to unknowingly overload the platform. Weight load notices, displayed conveniently allow for an immediate identification of the maximum weight load limit as and when needed. Providing quick guidance, weight load notices save time and effort when this specific information is required whilst acting as a firm reminder of weight load awareness. SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturing Association) stipulate the importance of weight load notice as a key safety component for all types of workplace storage equipment and mezzanine platforms, and as a designer and manufacturer with full SEMA membership, WSL is entirely consistent with this. Weight load notices accompany all mezzanine floors designed, manufactured and implemented by WSL.
Although your mezzanine floor may have been designed and manufactured to support the weight of your business activities, it is important that you undertake appropriate measures to ensure high safety levels are continual. A mezzanine floor that has become unsafe due to damage or wear and tear will put the safety of your staff, customers or visitors at risk and will no longer be compliant with PUWER. An annual mezzanine floor inspection carried out by a WSL safety inspector is the route to mezzanine floor safety assurance. These none disruptive inspections will detect any weaknesses that could potentially risk the safety of the structure. At WSL our qualified and experienced inspectors will examine every component, looking for potential risks including any compromise to weight load capacity. This could be a damaged floor surface due to wear and tear or a weakened column after an accidental collision for example. Any concerns or damage found along with advice on appropriate action will be documented in a full mezzanine floor inspection report which will be sent to you.
Trying to understand the ins and outs of mezzanine floor weight load capacity can be quite a task if this is something you&#;re not familiar with, so here&#;s the good news! Your WSL designer has considerable experience and knowledge when it comes to this very technical element of mezzanine floor design. In addition we are a designer and manufacturer of bespoke mezzanine floors with a Full SEMA Membership and UKCA accreditation, so you can be assured of the very highest quality and safety standards. Want to know more? Call our team today on or
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