How Mezzanine Levels Are Supported

  June 19, 2024      Warehousing

When you’re talking about warehouse storage, sometimes you need to take advantage of the vertical space and install a mezzanine storage level. A mezzanine is simply another level built above the warehouse floor. It can be used for storage, to house an office, to reclaim the space underneath it, and much more. When used properly, mezzanines can add a lot to a warehouse.

A big benefit of a mezzanine level in a warehouse is that they’re supported independently of the building that they sit in. This means that modifications don’t need to be made to the structure of the warehouse that they’re in. Because of this, they’re easy to erect and also easy to dismantle when it’s time to leave a warehouse and do a make good.

All that being said, there are different ways to support a mezzanine depending on what it’s being used for and what you’re trying to accomplish with it. Let’s explore how a mezzanine is typically supported in a warehouse situation. We’re always happy to provide advice for the right kind of mezzanine for a business, but having an idea of what’s possible may give you some ideas.

Mezzanines Supported Sigma Section

Sigma section is steel material that is strong but modular. Because of this, mezzanine levels that are supported by sigma section allow for long spans but are also relatively fast to construct because of the modular nature of the building material.

Although it is modular in nature, modifications can still be done to mezzanines built of sigma sections, however, the modifications can be limited. All in all, sigma section mezzanines are a good balance between large span mezzanines that are cost effective and easy to install with some limitations.

Since the sigma section mezzanines allow for large spans, they provide a lot of space underneath the mezzanine themselves. This can be a good way to reclaim main warehouse floor space for plant equipment, picking and packing, or any other activity, thereby increasing the overall floorspace of the warehouse itself.

Mezzanines Supported By Structural Steel

A mezzanine supported by structural steel affords similar advantages to sigma supported mezzanines, with the added advantage of being completely customisable. Since the design and construction of a structural steel supported mezzanine levels is not modular though, the steel supports need to be custom fabricated for the project.

Although the custom fabrication of the structural steel elements of the mezzanine can happen off-site, it means that the overall time it takes to build a structural steel supported mezzanine is generally longer than for a sigma section supported mezzanine. However, once the structural steel is manufactured, the actual onsite installation of the mezzanine takes a similar amount of time.

Structural steel supported mezzanines are great for areas where complete customisation is needed. This may because unusual or very large span lengths are needed or if they need to built as a strange shape to fit in with the rest of warehouse.

Mezzanines Supported By Pallet Racking

Pallet racking can also be used to support a mezzanine level, allowing for shelving, general storage, or even more pallet racking above the mezzanine floor. With a pallet racking supported mezzanine, the main advantage is that the space above pallet racking is reclaimed for other warehouse related activities; warehouses typically have very high ceilings and the vertical space in them can often go unused.

However, since there’s pallet racking below the mezzanine floor, pallet racking supported mezzanines aren’t afforded a large empty space underneath like with other mezzanine floors. While this may not be a problem for some warehouse situations, others need the empty space.

Mezzanines With More Than One Support Type

Mezzanines don’t need to be supported by one thing and one thing only.

A mezzanine can be designed to have different supports, whether that’s all three of the above or a combination of two of them. This suits situations where the mezzanine may be spanning different sections of a warehouse with different uses. In this way, the mezzanine may have a section with pallet racking underneath it and then a large empty section underneath for other storage.

Mezzanines with a variety of different supports are often more bespoke projects, but because of this are completely built for purpose and can add a lot of benefit to a business.

Talk To Us About The Right Mezzanine For Your Business

Choosing the right mezzanine for your warehouse space can be difficult. We can advise on the right mezzanine for your space whether you have already decided on a specific part of your warehouse or if you just know you need more floor space but you don’t know where.

There are quite a few options when it comes to mezzanine storage, where to put them, and how to install them. And we’re here to help with that.