Configuration Options for your Warehouse Mezzanine Floor
We’ve written a lot recently about the benefits of installing a mezzanine floor in your warehouse. To summarise, a warehouse mezzanine will give you any or all of the following:
- Additional storage space
- New office space
- Staff rest areas
- Pick and pack operations
But what about some of the practicalities of mezzanines?
The first thing about a mezzanine is that 99% of them are constructed from a mix of materials including steel, aluminium, timber and fibreglass.
Because of these different materials, this means that the configuration options are almost infinite.
By definition, most mezzanines are custom designed to be retrofitted into an existing warehouse space, and this means that you can usually accommodate any requirement you want.
The key to this is the brief.
Most specialist mezzanine floor installers will run through the options with you, even though you may have a firm idea of what you want.
The result is that you may uncover a few new possibilities and ideas that you hadn’t thought to include in your initial specification. There may also be additional elements such as health and safety features such as fire escapes and fire retardant/resistant materials that you may also need to factor in to your design specification.
Whatever route you choose, your mezzanine floor will always be custom designed and custom manufactured – so it will pay you to define every single element you could possibly want.
What are the configuration options?
The answer to this depends on what the intended use of your mezzanine floor is. For example, many companies choose to combine their warehousing space with light manufacturing, picking and packing or assembly line operations – and for this a mezzanine floor is a perfect choice.
Many people assume that mezzanines are lightweight structures and cannot accommodate a heavy load.
But structurally designed for the purpose and manufactured from the appropriate materials such as strong structural steel, a mezzanine can support a heavy load.
When used for this purpose (or even if your mezzanine is used simply as extra storage space) you are going to want to look at a range of options including:
- Conveyors
- Safety barriers
- Lift systems
- Staircases
- Pallet gates
- Flooring/decking choices
- Partition systems for staff areas and offices
- Finishes
Another possibility for larger warehouse buildings is 2 mezzanines linked by an elevated walkways. Access walkways are also possibilities for servicing of utilities or for safe access to certain areas where pedestrian access is restricted.
But for now we’ll focus on the main mezzanine configuration options.
Mezzanine conveyors
Mezzanine conveyors (known as incline conveyors) are ideal when goods need to be moved between ground and mezzanine level in continuous flow e.g. for picking and packing or assembly reasons and where a lift would be too slow.
Incline conveyors are simple to operate and can be anchored at ground level for manual or automated loading, and where they meet the mezzanine can connect to onward conveyors on the mezzanine itself.
Safety barriers
All high level platforms required handrails or barriers to– it’s not just a legal requirement, it’s also simple common sense.
HSE legislation says that HSE guidance says that ‘continuous edge protection’ must be provided i.e. there must be a continuous barrier at the edge of a mezzanine floor to protect workers – and visitors – from the dangers of a high level fall.
Pallet gates are required if pallets are to be unloaded from a lift or forklift through a gap in the barrier – and can be constructed and integrated into the mezzanine build as part of a bespoke solution.
Mezzanine lifts
If your goods and products are bulkier and your warehouse processes do not require a constant flow from ground to mezzanine level, you’re probably better off with a mezzanine lift.
In common with your mezzanine floor itself, the design and manufacture of these lifts can usually be customised to fit with specific usage, dimensions or load capacity requirements.
Office partitions
If you plan to install offices, storage rooms or other room facilities on to your mezzanine floor, you’ll need to plan the layouts and install partition walls.
Partitioning walls can be made of different materials such as glass or plasterboard of various thickness, length and height dimensions and incorporate fire resistance, sound insulation and laminated with many types of colour or finish.
They can incorporate suspended ceilings, windows, doors, heating, lighting, air conditioning, carpeting, network wiring – in effect customised to any specification.
Staircases
One or more staircases can be an integral element of a mezzanine floor solution, and again can be designed bespoke to fit with the overall mezzanine.
Access to mezzanines is not just a matter of practicality.
The design and installation of your mezzanine will require Building Regulations permissions, and in turn, you will need to ensure that access is provided for disabled workers.
The staircases (and in some cases lifts) may need to comply with Document M of Building Regulations – so your mezzanine solution provider will be able to advise you on this.
Flooring/decking choices
When you mezzanine floor is specified for a particular use or application, you’ll also need to decide on the flooring or ‘decking’ you need.
The main considerations are load bearing ability, moisture resistance, fire resistance, non-slip surface and durability.
The main material options include particle board, steel floor plating and welded grating.
Finishes
Some warehouse owners are particularly concerned about branding and corporate colour schemes.
Mezzanine floors and all the components that go with them – stairs, lifts, rails, conveyors – can be powder coated in a range of colours to give a finish that is both attractive and resistant to wear and tear.
Powder coatings are also ideal as an anti-corrosion finish.
Fire Proofing
Mezzanine floors are subject to the same fire regulations as any other part of your office or manufacturing estate.
Of utmost importance is safety and for this reason two elements of fire safety are the main factors:
- Fire safety, escape and rescue routes for employees and visitors present anywhere on the mezzanine floor in the instance that a fire breaks out; and
- Fire proofing measures that will slow the spread of a fire
Apart from fire alarms, sprinkler systems and smoke detection systems a range of other measures can be taken.
These and the other configuration options described in this article should all be discussed with your mezzanine floor solution designer and installation specialist
Ready to get started? Contact the mezzanine floor experts at Acorn Warehouse Solutions to discuss your requirements. Call today on 01799 532024.