Most sectors benefit from mezzanine floors in their property as they provide versatile additional space that can withstand heavy load-bearing. This means whether you are in a commercial or industrial warehouse and need somewhere for heavy machinery to work or are in a retail space and anticipate heavy foot traffic, a mezzanine floor will cope with it.
However, when designing and installing a mezzanine floor, you need to understand the load-bearing capacity it will have to ensure the safety, functionality and compliance of the space. There are mezzanine floor weight limits that you will need to consider, so it is important to work out the load-bearing capacity of your design to ensure it will meet your desired purpose.
At First Floors, we are mezzanine floor specialists and have helped a range of clients expand their floor space easily with a bespoke mezzanine floor designed, manufactured and installed by our experts. With over 20 years of experience, we know the calculations for mezzanine floor load-bearing capacity off the top of our heads. It is one of the first steps in our process, so you can rest assured it will be considered as we work with you.
In this blog, we share everything you need to know about the load-bearing capacity of mezzanine floors.
What is the Mezzanine Floor Load Capacity?
Mezzanine floor load capacity simply refers to the amount of weight it will be able to take at one time.
It is a vital calculation to make during the design process because it will dictate how you will be able to utilise the space safely, especially if you are a manufacturing warehouse and intend to use it as part of your production line with heavy machinery.
Key aspects of load capacity are broken into two categories:
- Static loads – refer to permanent, non-moving weights that the mezzanine floor must support at all times. This will include the weight of the flooring materials, support beams, and any permanently fixed equipment or structures.
- Live loads – referring to the weights that will move, such as people’s furniture and moveable equipment. Live loads are often higher than static loads because they account for weight fluctuations and movement, making them essential for safety calculations.
Typically, when calculating load capacity for a mezzanine floor, the calculator will include both static and live loads to create a total expected weight.
Load capacity is usually measured in kilograms per square (kg/m²) or newtons per square metre (N/m²).
Different usages of the space will need different load capacities. Here are a few examples that are used as a general rule of thumb across the industry.
- Light storage or office use – load capacity between 250–300 kg/m² (around 2.5–3.0 kN/m²) to support desks, office equipment, light shelving, and small stored items.
- Heavy storage or manufacturing – load capacities increase to around 500–1,000 kg/m² (5.0–10.0 kN/m²) or higher, depending on the weight of stored goods or machinery.
- Retail or public areas – load capacity might range from 300–500 kg/m to account for higher foot traffic and heavier displays.
Factors Influencing Mezzanine Load Capacity
As with anything, there are factors that will influence the load capacity of your mezzanine floor.
- Materials and construction – steel and reinforced concrete are often used for their strength and durability, so are often used for heavy load-bearing usages.
- Design specifications – designs will dictate where equipment will go to ensure even distribution of weight across the floor. Plus, safety margins and building codes and standards will be adhered to ensure the safety of the structure.
- Intended use – as different usages need different levels of load capacity, the desired purpose of your mezzanine floor will impact the load capacity it will be designed to hold.
Other considerations that will also be taken into account when designing your mezzanine floor and calculating the load capacity will be:
- Environmental factors (e.g. humidity, temperature) and their effect on materials.
- Safety codes and local regulations in the UK.
Calculating Load Capacity for Mezzanine Floors
Calculating load capacity for your mezzanine floor requires several steps.
The process is as follows:
- Understand the types of loads – work out your static and live loads.
- Determine intended use and load requirements – the load capacity needed will depend on your usage, so make sure you know how you want to use the space.
- Calculate the dead load – estimate the weight of the mezzanine structure by calculating the weight of the materials used and adding up the weight of all permanent structural components to create your dead load per square metre (kg/m² or N/m²).
- Calculate the required live load – based on the usage, work out the live load per square metre.
- Total load capacity calculation – add the dead load and live load together to create a total load capacity.
- Add margins for safety factors – most engineers will apply safety factors to handle unexpected increases in load or changes in use.
Compliance and Safety Standards for Mezzanine Load Capacity
Whenever you undertake a construction project, you will always need to comply with certain Building Regulations and safety standards.
All mezzanine floors will need to ensure structural integrity by meeting the necessary Building Regulations and getting a completion certificate to prove they have been met.
Plus, the space will need to meet several British Standards, such as BS 6399 and BS EN 1991.
It is important that you adhere to these standards and regulations as they ensure the space is safe and energy efficient. In complying, you will avoid fines.
How to Optimise Mezzanine Floor Load Capacity
There are some ways that you can optimise the mezzanine floor load capacity so that it meets your required needs.
- Using reinforced materials or structural beams will provide additional support.
- Retrofitting existing structures with reinforcements, adding additional columns or beams.
Mezzanine Floors That Meet Your Load Capacity Needs
Understanding mezzanine floor load capacity can be complicated as there is a lot to wrap your head around.
From understanding the types of capacities to the measurements and the steps you need to take to calculate it, it can be an overwhelming and confusing process.
This is where expertise from mezzanine floor installers is second to none.
At First Floors, we are mezzanine floor specialists and have been working with a range of industries to provide bespoke solutions that utilise their vertical spaces so they don’t have to worry about moving premises.
We offer a turnkey service that includes site surveys, design, manufacturing, and installation. You can trust us to get the job done properly.
At our site survey, we will spend time getting to know your business, operations and the need of the mezzanine floor. This is crucial information for us as we will use it as the basis for our load-bearing calculations when we work on our designs.
At every stage, we will share with you what we are doing and how this impacts load capacity, so once the installation is done, you can fit it with everything you need without worrying.
Contact us today to discuss your mezzanine floor load capacity needs. Call us on 01789 764172 or complete our online contact form, and we will get in touch with you.
