A mezzanine is an intermediate floor inside of a building, usually open and not walled off. There are a few different types of mezzanines; including stick built, fiberglass, and rack-supported. In general, the two most common types of mezzanines are cold rolled and structural steel. Understanding the safety standards and differences between the two types of mezzanines is crucial to ensuring you choose the right product for the job.
Mezzanines allow you to gain the space you need without building a new facility or expanding outward. Think of a mezzanine as the solution that helps you expand within. They can be installed inside any facility that has a ceiling height greater than 15 feet. If you have more than 30 feet of overhead space, a multi-level mezzanine can be built to meet your exact area and height requirements. Mezzanines can be disassembled and moved to another location.
Mezzanines are created for:
- Conveyor support and access
- Production equipment support and access
- Wash down areas
- Operator stations
- Work platforms
- Cross overs and catwalks to connect separate areas
- Support for facilities services and systems
- Help maximize existing plant space.
- Create more square footage without expanding your facility.
- Double or triple the existing space inside your facility.
There are a variety of custom mezzanine components and safety standards available to meet your needs.
- Columns Cubic Design columns are typically 6″ x 6″ x 3/16″ structural steel tubes and can be upgraded to 8″ x 8″ x 1/4″ +. Baseplates are typically 12″ x 12″ x 3/4″ or larger to ensure proper distribution of the column load on the concrete floor and adequate lateral stability at the deck level.
- Connections The Cubic Designs Mezzanine stringer, joist and column system ensures all loads are supported by pre-welded joist hangers and transferred directly to mezzanine columns. All connections are made at column tops as opposed to tube sides where bolts could be in shear. This design eliminates the problem of relying on fasteners for total support of loads.
- Safety Hand Railing Patented mezzanine railing systems, vertical railing, cable railing, expanded metal railing and custom railing systems will meet your safety requirements and all building codes.
- Industrial Safety Stairs Options include code-approved handrail, stair platforms, closed risers and handrail extensions. Custom configurations are available. Heavy-gauge steel one-piece stringer and handrail assemblies improve rigidity and ease of installation.
- Steel Platforms Cubic Designs Mezzanines and stairs can be built to include custom steel platforms and various handrail options and are configurable to meet exact needs.
- Safety Gates Any structural mezzanines can be equipped with spring-loaded swing gates or remote powered sliding gates that offer unique features to address total safety and operational efficiency.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommend that walking surfaces have a static coefficient of friction of 0.5. In order to help keep mezzanines safe in the workplace, floors and steps should have a slip resistant product applied for added safety. There are many different products available that hold different coefficient of friction values such as epoxy coatings, metal on metal and more.