A steel mezzanine is a stand-alone structure designed to be installed in an existing building, warehouse, facility, or structure to maximize clear space under and above the mezzanine. It is made with high-grade steel materials and provides durability for warehouse storage or equipment handling.
There are four basic types of steel mezzanines used in warehouses, distribution centers, and industrial settings, including free standing mezzanines, building supported mezzanines, rack supported mezzanines, and shelving supported mezzanines.
Free Standing Mezzanines
Free standing mezzanines, also known as equipment platforms, are often used to hold equipment. They provide wide space to accommodate heavy items. However, they are also widely used for parts and product storage in warehouses and distribution centers, and in the material handling sector to support conveyor systems.
Also known as structural, steel, or wide span mezzanines, free standing mezzaninesoffer great flexibility in setup and restructuring.
Building Column-Connected Mezzanines
This type of steel mezzanines relies on the existing building structure for their support, such as building posts and columns. The building must have been designed to support additional loads. A blended system can also be developed in which a mezzanine is supported partly by the building structure and partly by columns, as long as the foundation can support the additional load.
Rack-Supported Mezzanines
As the name implies, rack supported mezzanines provide a level of usable space between or above existing pallet racks, provided that the rack system can support the additional loads. When installed between racks, these structures can also be called as catwalk systems. Because the existing rack structure is used to support the mezzanine level, this type of mezzanine can be more economical than a free standing mezzanine.
Shelving Supported Mezzanines
Shelving-supported mezzanines can be used for storage of smaller items and are ideal for order-picking access among existing shelf units. This type of mezzanine is the least flexible for reconfiguration but, like rack-supported systems, can be more economical than free standing mezzanines.
These are the four major types of steel mezzanines. For more information about the different types of warehouse storage systems, visit http://msshouston.com/cantilever-racking-20/uncategorised/steel-mezzanine.
Material Storage Systems 