MEZZANINE FLOOR LOADING CAPACITY

The maximum loading and structural capacity of any mezzanine floor installation must comply to building regulations Part A. It is your duty under UK law to ensure that any structure conforms (and continues to conform by inspection and maintenance) to ensure safety. PDC have specialised knowledge and experience in order to advise you on best practice. The first consideration for any mezzanine floor is to consider the loading capacity for which the project will be used. The design and structural requirements for light storage or retail is very different to loading requirements for platforms supporting heavy plant & machinery. Where heavy duty usage is identified then it is often necessary to select different styles of column and joists to support the additional load and prevent deflection. The fixing between all joints will also be effected with braced and unbraced elements applied where required.

Imposed Loading
BS6399: Part1 details minimum loading and recommendations for Office, Retail and Industrial use. The code presents guidance for uniformly distributed loads as well as spot loads for specific usage. The minimum loading is 2.4Kn/m² for all applications with heavier loading such as Powered pallet trucks or machinery being up to 12Kn/m². Every raised platform is different so it is important to seek professional advice from our design team who will calculate the best floor design for you. The forces that are applied to your decking will dictate what floor surface is available or practical to install. Some mezzanines are only light use so simple tongue and groove particle board will suffice, whereas other raised platforms will require heavy steel grate decking to support more substantial loads. Although building regulations offer guidance the BRE digest437 presents more specific authoritative clarity to some of the most commonly experienced difficulties presented when calculating floor capacity. The table listed below is not exhaustive but for reference the following loadings are listed as generic guidance.

Its is advised that to ensure the longevity and continued safety of your floor then you should implement a management policy within your organisation. For example maximum loading and usage should be clearly identified with training given in respect of weight capacity. Each Mezzanine floor should also have regular inspections by a competent person in addition to an annual condition survey which should be undertaken by a person who is not also appointed for the regular inspection. It is important to continually determine that the installation is in a satisfactory condition and that its current usage and load capacity is still as per the design intent. Any maintenance or additional loading should be reported for structural appraisal.

FLOOR LOADING GUIDANCE

  • Mezzanine Office  – 2.5Kn/m² 
  • Light Storage – 3.5Kn/m² (Uniform Load)
  • Light Storage – 3.5Kn/m² (Point Load)
  • Heavy Storage – 7.0Kn/m² (Uniform Load)
  • Heavy Storage – 6.0Kn/m² (Point Load)
retail display attached to a mezzanine floor staircase in JD sports Birmingham
mezzanine floors

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Mezzanine floor can mean many things. It could be a simple raised platform or a fully fire protected high end retail finish. Here at PDC we are able to handle as much or a little of your project as you wish. Design only or a full turnkey solution, the only way to fully cost an installation is to speak with one of our team who would be more than happy to advise you.

CASE STUDIES 

Take a look through our portfolio of mezzanine floor and partition installations. We work with a wide range of clients from high street retailers and the leisure industry, to smaller industrial and new start up companies. We have installed hundreds of mezzanine floors across the United Kingdom. PDC are proud to be one of the UK’s leading suppliers of elevated platforms and partitions. Get in touch today to discuss your requirements and arrange a no obligation quote for your mezzanine floor project.  Our dedicated sales team can be reached on 08455 201023

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