There’s more to a mezzanine than just more floors

There’s more to a mezzanine than just more floors
With rising land costs and pressure to make every square metre count, installing a mezzanine floor is an increasingly popular option. But the design and configuration is just as important if the additional space is to add maximum value to the warehouse. Laurie Sice, from warehouse and distribution property specialist sbh, considers how to make the most of the extra potential space a mezzanine floor can offer.

“It’s not difficult to understand the appeal of adding a mezzanine floor to a warehouse, or even including one in the design of a new facility. The modern warehouse is designed to accommodate a number of different functions that require varying head heights, from high bay storage to dispatch. So it’s almost certain there will be some spare headroom going begging that additional floors can fill. And with rental costs at least £5.00 ft² pa and rising – or £2,500 pa for only 500 ft² - it makes sound business sense to make maximum use of expensive cube space.

There is usually no need for planning approval enabling a mezzanine to be installed without undue delay – and at a fraction of the cost and disruption of relocation. Most Landlords will however expect to be informed and quite reasonably will almost certainly ask for confirmation that Building Regulation Approval has been obtained.

There are almost as many ways to take advantage of a mezzanine floor as there are installations. They can provide additional office or archive space, more racking or shelving, workshop or assembly facilities, order assembly areas or a new dispatch bay – whatever the business needs to grow and thrive. Modern modular designs also mean that the structure can easily be amended or extended as needs change.

Because there are likely to be a number of different ways to design the structure, it’s worth keeping an open mind and taking advantage of the experience of a supplier with experience of warehousing and the value that a well-designed mezzanine floor can add. As well as project managing hundreds of warehouses, from small standard units to some of the UK’s largest and biggest facilities, sbh has been involved in mezzanine floor projects for clients such as A.S. Watson (Superdrug), Austin Reed, bon marché, Brake Bros Foodservice, Mosaic, New Look, Nissan, Peacocks, The Outdoor Group and T K Maxx.

Think about storage
Do you intend to transfer some elements of storage from another part of the warehouse? Would the move provide you with an opportunity to rethink what goods and materials you now store and perhaps pick, which may be a lot different to how the store was planned initially?

Upper mezzanine floors can typically be used to hold slow-moving items which may currently occupy a prime space, better served by fast moving or urgent items, while the ground floor may provide an ideal order preparation or packing zone.

Other options may include ground level pallet racking, standard or long-span shelving, small parts binning, live storage for order preparation tasks, offices and workbenches.

Staff and services
Using space more effectively does however man that all levels are fully serviced and provide a comfortable and productive environment for staff. Efficient lighting, air management and power sources are three vital services to ensure maximum productivity and safety. The structure may well reduce natural light and airflow, so effective workplace lighting and a supply of fresh air are essential to staff productivity. And as with a new home, it is always wise to fit more power points and telephone/data points than you think you may need. It costs less than installing additional services later on and avoids the danger of loose cables under foot.

Other services that may be required depending on the operation will include water, compressed air, gas supply and fire alarms.

Safety and Security

Good lighting and clear exit routes should be part of any well-designed mezzanine floor to meet current regulations. In addition depending on the nature of materials stored, the project may need fire management and protection systems. The most effective solution could include automatic sprinkler systems - either in-rack, in aisle or ceiling only - or automatic or manual foam systems. as well as conventional fire extinguishers and fire hose reels.

A mezzanine floor can also provide an ideal solution for storing high value items, either for picking and dispatch or as components for feeding to a nearby assembly line. In such a case the level of security may be higher than for the main warehouse including special enclosures with controlled access, or even CCTV surveillance and alarms. Although this may add to the cost of the project, bringing together high security or valuable items into one, easily controllable area may prove wiser than having them spread throughout the warehouse.

There are of course many other elements to consider, as each mezzanine should be a unique solution to a unique requirement. But the common factor for a successful project is to think about the bigger picture, take sound advice and select a supplier such as sbh.uk with proven expertise in the aspects of design and specialist service most relevant to your project.”

August - 2007