Mezzanines

About Mezzanines and Custom Mezzanine Manufacturers Including: Industrial Mezzanines, Mezzanine Construction, Mezzanine Floors, Mezzanine Systems, Steel Mezzanines & Storage Platforms.

Mezzanines are structures built within pre-existing buildings between the ceiling and the floor, essentially providing another story within the facility. Mezzanine construction differs from that of stories, or building levels, in that mezzanines do not reach across the entire building or facility in which they are enclosed; usually, mezzanines reach across less than half of a facility's ground space or are only constructed around a building's interior perimeter. Railings border the edges, which generally overlook the rest of the facility or building, while open or enclosed stairs connect the ground floor with the mezzanine floor. Mezzanine manufacturers construct mezzanines and mezzanine systems for a range of buildings and facilities, including manufacturing plant mezzanines, industrial mezzanines and office mezzanines. Steel mezzanines provide superior structural support and are often used in facilities and warehouses as storage platforms.

Many public, commercial, warehouse and industrial buildings have mezzanines constructed within in order to increase floor space for storage, manufacturing, work or commercial activities. Mezzanines can nearly double the amount of floor surface within a building while improving a building's aesthetic by creating a lower ceiling both for the ground floor and the mezzanine floor. Most multi-storey malls have mezzanines as upper level walkways instead of segregating the floors completely; this promotes consumption by allowing shoppers to view stores and goods on multiple levels, in the same way that many residential apartment buildings or condominiums have central mezzanines. Large office buildings also use mezzanines to create more office space or to create space for storage. Warehouses, processing plants and manufacturing facilities use mezzanines to create office or storage space above the work floor, a far less costly alternative to building separate office or storage building.

Mezzanines may be constructed as full mezzanines which stretch across a facility's width or length; they may be built as island mezzanines, or they may be inverted island mezzanines which run around a building's interior perimeter. In commercial, residential and office buildings, mezzanines are built and decorated so that they match the rest of the building's interior. Where aesthetics are important - such as in malls or public office buildings - mezzanines can be designed to conform to the rest of the building's style, with escalators, glass railings and tiled flooring. Industrial and manufacturing buildings' mezzanines are highly functional, often providing storage for extremely heavy products or equipment. Steel I-beams and reinforcements are used in industrial mezzanines, which may be equipped with perforated metal stair treads, metal floor grating and metal tube railings. Pallet drop areas are constructed within railings as convenient places for pallets to be transferred from lifting equipment below to pallet trucks above without endangering workers on the mezzanine platform above.

For plants, facilities, office buildings or commercial buildings looking to expand without the cost or inconvenience of building a separate facility, mezzanines can be a highly cost effective solution. Mezzanine installation is typically far less costly than constructing a new building, and zoning regulations and codes for mezzanine construction are minimal. Buildings which are tall enough to accommodate mezzanine construction are often more aesthetically pleasing after mezzanines have been built and empty space is made useful. Mezzanine manufacturers offer a versatile range of platform designs and materials, offering custom mezzanine construction tailored to the needs of a specific facility.

Mezzanines and Custom Mezzanine Manufacturers Image Provided by Equipment Roundup Manufacturing	Mezzanines and Custom Mezzanine Manufacturers Image Provided by FCP, Inc.

Mezzanines and Custom Mezzanine Manufacturers Images Provided by Abtech

Mezzanine Types

• A custom mezzanine is a mezzanine which is configured to consumer specifications. Custom mezzanines consist of parts which are not "off the shelf" and most often call for custom fabrication.
  
• Industrial mezzanines are heavy duty mezzanines that are designed to endure the heavier and shiftier loads that industries are accustomed to dealing with.
  
• An in-plant mezzanine is a mezzanine constructed inside of a plant or building. An in-plant mezzanine is typically shipped unassembled and then put together once inside of the designated location.
• Mezzanine construction is the construction of structures within pre-existing buildings between the ceiling and the floor, essentially providing another story within the facility.
• Mezzanine floors serve as the base for the entire upstairs area. They are placed over the supporting purlins. Common floorboard materials include: plywood, diamond treaded steel, welding bar and metal plank gratings, various poly texture panels and concrete.
  
• Mezzanine manufacturers produce structures that are intermediate floors between main stories of the building.
• Mezzanine systems are all of the elements used to create an intermediate story to a building that sits in between two main stories.
• A modular mezzanine is a mezzanine that is prefabricated in standard size offerings. Modular mezzanines are usually limited to a lighter PSF capability, but they are shipped and installed quicker and generally cost less money.
  
• Plant mezzanines are transitional floors located in industrial plants.
• Steel mezzanines are semi-permanent steel structures that are built within pre-existing buildings between the ceiling and the floor; essentially providing another story, or building level, within the facility. 
• Storage platforms are semi-permanent stories built between the ceiling and floor of a building and designed to maximize usable storage space.
• Structural mezzanines use inherent members such as racks or shelving units to endure loads placed on the upper level. Structural mezzanines simply relocate the floor level area to the upstairs.

Mezzanine Terms

Column Footing - a support base for the mezzanine's load-bearing columns. Column footings are often times made of concrete or metal.

Collateral Load - additional dead loads besides the structure's weight and decking materials, such as sprinklers, ceilings and electrical and mechanical systems.

Dead Load - the allowance in the load capacity of the mezzanine in order to account for the weight of the actual mezzanine structure.

Grating - an open grid of metal bars. The grid bars are attached to cross bars that run perpendicular to them or to bent connecting bars which extend between them.

High Density Storage - a storage method in which unitized loads are stocked more than one unit high and/or deep.

Landing - a platform at the end of stair flights. Landings are frequently used on mezzanines.

Lateral Deflection (Drift) - the amount a mezzanine will sway due to lateral loads.

Lateral Load - the force that acts horizontally on the mezzanine, causing it to sway. All mezzanine structures are designed to withstand a particular degree of lateral loading.

Lift Truck - any vehicle that is used to lift, stack, rack or move a load(s). Forklift is synonymous with the term lift truck.

Live Load - the maximum weight the mezzanine is designed to hold safely. Typical live loads range from 50 to 250 PSF.

Pounds per Square Foot (PSF) - a unit of measurement that signifies the number of pounds of pressure within a one square foot area.

Purlin - a structural member attached horizontally to the primary frames of mezzanines. Purlins provide support for the flooring and loads.