Mezzanine Floors
As manufacturing, distribution and supply operations grow, they consume more work space. When an operation reaches the limits of its facility's capacity, an adjustment must be made. Companies facing this situation can relocate to new facilities, expand current facilities, do nothing (and accept the indefinite stagnation of business) or they can construct mezzanines. Industrial mezzanines effectively double the capacity of the spaces in which they are installed and provide extra workspace, storage and even office space. They can be constructed for a fraction of the costs associated with expansion of current facilities or construction of new buildings; construction materials and labor, building permits, taxes and other expenses are completely avoided by the construction of mezzanines.
Mezzanine floors are the main component of mezzanine systems. They are supported by a collection of beams, columns and fasteners, which are designed to minimize impedance of operations below the platform. Common mezzanine floor construction materials include plywood, diamond treaded steel, welding bar and metal plank gratings, various poly texture panels and many other materials. Mezzanine floors can be bolted together over and around existing storage and work areas. Electrical conduits, water pipes and other utilities can be integrated into mezzanine floors by running them through web bar joists, especially on
structural and
steel mezzanines. Mezzanine floors have to be carefully chosen in order to be appropriate for a given application. Dimensions like building ceiling height, workspace surface area, weight-capacity-per-square-foot and other important considerations must all be made in advance of construction in order to ensure safe and effective mezzanine use. Other important considerations include the total linear feet of deck handrail and the number of sets of stairs needed. Stairs can feature closed, open-tread or bar grating, among other options. In some buildings, specific spacing of columns may be required in order to meet building codes.
