Considerations When Choosing Platform or Mezzanine Designs 

Making the most out of the space you have is important, and a good strategy to make this
more efficient is installing an elevated platforms or mezzanines.

In this article, we will look at what we consider during our design consultations so that you
end up with a solution that fully meets your needs

Deciding Factors For Your Specific Needs

Like all engineered solutions, it isn’t a case of one size fits all. Every project comes with its
unique requirements, and our team of experts are here to guide you through it, helping to
make informed and appropriate decisions.

Providing our expertise, we have helped install a wide range of platforms and mezzanines to
support production lines, warehouse extensions, heavy machinery routes, personnel traffic
and much more. Below is a list of the key deciding factors we consider when advising on
mezzanine architecture.

1. Weight and Function Requirements

The intended use of the platform is the driving factor that starts the design process. Here we
establish what its range of uses will be to ensure that the load-bearing capacity for is
appropriate. We understand if there is a consistent load across the floor, or if there are
significant point loads that may need areas of reinforcement and bracing.

Building regulations can also come into consideration, as well as various standards
referenced at the end of this article.

2. Environmental Factors

The working environments can significantly affect your material choice and the structural
design. Whether it is inside or outside of a building, what operations it is supporting and
which industry you company operates in can all be major factors.

Fortunately we have extensive experience installing systems in a wide range of
environments, including food production, wet and dry manufacturing, warehousing, mining
and quarrying, and many more.

3. Material Selection

For a foundation level specification of mezzanine we would normally recommend frame
construction from galvanised mild steel. It is strong, affordable and the galvanisation
provides good durability against corrosion.

Materials such as stainless steel are utilized more extensively in very wet or corrosive
settings, or in environments where contamination or small debris might be a problem, like
food and drinks or pharmaceutical settings.

We can also manufacture aluminium structures, often designed for very specific needs
where a lighter total weight is essential.

As part of our service, we provide structural calculations to support our designs.

4. Flooring

An important consideration to take after the frame and structure have been decided is
picking a suitable floor. There are several options for this, and decisions can be made based
on environmental suitability, weight requirement, and the budget.

Common options include open grid flooring, GRP flooring, and stainless steel or aluminium
checker plate. Your floor may need a run-off for rain water and/or to prevent materials
dropping from a height. As part of our full structural calculations, we can help you find the
right flooring aligning with the wider project budget and requirements.

5. Hand Railing

Just like the flooring, there are a range of handrailing options to meet you needs. They can
also be mounted in various positions, to the side of the platform or on top.

Common types of handrails include galvanised ball type, kee klamp, or stainless steel, but
there are several others out there. The most appropriate one for you often depends on
durability and if you require the area to be completely crevasse free, where there are no
small cracks for dust and dirt to gather.

6. Stairs and Access

Finally, we need to talk about how you get people and goods on and off your new mezzanine
or platform. It’s essential that people are provided safe access, often via stairs, and are also
provided an alternative route in case of an emergency. If you have a large area at height,
you may want multiple points of access to prevent unnecessary wasted travel time.

For goods, there are a number of solutions including lifting beams, small cranes, conveyors
and pallet gates. Fortunately we offer and manufacture these services too, so we can
provide a full turn key experience with expertise.

Meeting Mezzanine Floor Standards

Structural steelwork fabrication is regulated. The EN1090 standards are European standards that regulate the fabrication and assembly of steel and aluminium structures. Certified to EN1090 execution class 2, our products are quality controlled to exacting standards and we are audited annually.

There are many other standards that apply, including but not limited to stairs (factors including angle of the stairs and the number or treads before a landing is required), the handrail (fall prevention forces, distance between uprights). All of our fabricators and welders are also regularly tested to a variety of standards and procedures.

But don’t worry if you are not quite up to speed with the particulars of each requirement. We have a team of experienced engineers who act as consultants throughout a project, who will conduct on-site surveys, offering recommendations in line with industry regulations and requirements.

Still unsure which would be the right one for you?

If you are thinking of implementing a platform, mezzanine or gantry for your company we can help you.

We can help you at every step of the process from initial concept visualisation from our product design team to installation of a quality product.

Get in touch with us today and we can help you decide with clear and honest advice from our vastly experienced team.