Mezzanine floors are used across a range of commercial and industrial sectors, from retail to manufacturing and warehouses to garages and offices, for different purposes. They provide an easy way to expand floor space without moving premises, and they are strong enough to withstand heavy loads. However, when it comes to loading the space with equipment and people, you do need to be aware that there are limitations to mezzanine floor load capacity.
Understanding the floor’s load capacity is important for health and safety and the functionality of the space. It will determine the design of the structure and how it is used. There are several factors that affect the load capacity of a mezzanine floor.
These include:
- Its purpose
- Building Regulations and industry standards
- Materials used and design choices
- Site-specific conditions
- Weight distribution
At First Floors, we are mezzanine floor experts, meaning we know exactly what will affect your floor and its load capacity. We provide a turnkey service, from design to manufacturing and installation, and throughout the whole process, our team considers the factors that impact load capacity to ensure that your structure meets your needs.
In this blog, we share these factors so that you can have an understanding of them throughout our collaborative design process.
Key Factors Affecting Load Capacity
There are several factors that you need to consider when designing a space.
Intended Usage and Load Type
Of course, how you intend to use the space will impact what machinery (if any) and equipment you put on the floor. This means different weights will need to be supported for different uses, which impacts the structural requirements.
As well as the stationary equipment (dead loads) you want to put on the floor, you also need to think about live loads. This covers any mobile machinery, such as forklifts and people. Moving parts will mean fluctuating loads, which is why you need to make sure they are thought about while determining the use and load types.
Building Regulations and Safety Standards
All building works in the UK must meet specific Building Regulations and health and safety standards such as British Standards.
Building Regulations state:
- The structure must be designed and constructed to carry the expected loads safely.
- The structure must have load-bearing capacity assessed to prevent collapse or deflection.
Meanwhile, relevant British Standards include:
- BS 5950-1: Structural Use of Steelwork in Buildings – specifies safety factors, load-bearing capacities, and deflection limits.
- EN 1991 (Eurocode 1): Actions on Structures – ensures load combinations are considered in design calculations.
- BS EN 1993-1-1 (Eurocode 3): Design of Steel Structures – Focuses on the design of steel frameworks, ensuring materials meet strength and durability requirements.
Following these standards when designing and constructing a mezzanine floor not only ensures compliance and avoids fines but also enables you to safely load the mezzanine floor to suit your purpose.
Material and Design Choices
The materials used and design choices will impact the load capacity because they become part of the load itself.
Common structural materials are reinforced concrete and structural steel, both of which offer different things.
- Structural steel – is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing it to support heavy loads with relatively lightweight sections. Its flexibility and ductility make it ideal for structures requiring large spans or the ability to withstand dynamic loads.
- Reinforced concrete – combines the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile strength of steel reinforcement, providing excellent durability and load distribution.
Reinforced concrete is heavier than the steel alternative, but it isn’t as susceptible to rust or corrosion.
On top of this, you need to consider beam span and column placement, as this will influence weight distribution and the overall capacity.
Finally, the flooring you choose will also contribute to the mezzanine floor load capacity, so you will need to bear that in mind when choosing it. Do you go for style over function or function over style?
Site-Specific Conditions
The existing building structure will influence the support and structure of the mezzanine floor, therefore impacting the load capacity.
Plus, humidity and temperature fluctuations can impact the floor’s stability and strength, so this will need to be considered when working out the load capacity.
Loading and Weight Distribution
Evenly distributing weights across your mezzanine floor is crucial for load capacity.
If you overload one specific area with weight, it creates a stress point, leading to deformation, structural damage, or even collapse. By spreading the weight evenly, the load is shared across multiple support points, reducing the strain on any single area and ensuring the structure operates within its design limits.
Tips for this include:
- Position heavier items near support points
- Use uniformly distributed shelving – such as pallet racking
- Distribute weight symmetrically
- Follow manufacturer load limits
- Install anti-tipping supports
- Conduct regular inspections
- Plan for dynamic loads
Maximising Safety and Functionality With First Floors
Factors such as usage, materials and Building Regulations ensure our mezzanine floor is designed within standards and will meet your needs.
Meanwhile, considering the site-specific conditions will mean the mezzanine floor will fit the building and will be utilised in the most appropriate way to enhance load capacity without straining the building’s existing structure.
Finally, distributing the weight across the space evenly will reduce stress points forming, which can lead to damaging the mezzanine floor.
At First Floors, our team are specialists in designing, manufacturing and installing mezzanine floors.
We have over 20 years of experience in the industry, meaning we have a wealth of experience working in different building types and providing unique solutions for a variety of purposes.
While projects differ, our approach to them doesn’t, as we take the above factors into account at every stage of the process to ensure your mezzanine floor load capacity meets your needs so that we create a space that is fit for purpose.
If you want to learn more about load capacity and whether a mezzanine floor might suit your needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Call us on 01789 764172 or complete our online contact form, and we will give you a callback.