Mezzanines, the flexible and affordable works-free solution for increasing your warehouse surface

When you need to increase the surface of your warehouse and rule out moving to a new facility or carrying out works, industrial mezzanines are one of the best solutions available for maximising your storage space. This type of structure makes use of surface at height in buildings, factories, or premises, to create new storage or work spaces not previously available. And, they also have the advantage of being a quick and affordable option for setting up new zones compared to extension works or a move.

Warehouse-height permitting, mezzanines can be installed in small buildings or large logistics surfaces, and offer extra storage space to different business sectors, from warehouses for food and distribution, cosmetic and chemical products, the pharmaceutical industry or industrial supplies. These systems can be completely dismantled and are very versatile, adapting to different types of installations, loads and weights, without their set-up interfering with the usual activity in any way.

This article describes the main uses, applications and types of mezzanine, this storage system’s main advantages, and three success stories of projects where POLYPAL installed its industrial mezzanines. Learn more about this perfect solution for optimising the available storage space at a minimum cost.

Mezzanine uses in different sectors

Versatility, low cost and ease of assembly are the reasons why companies in different sectors of activity resort to industrial mezzanines to expand their space: pharmaceutical facilities, food and hypermarket warehouses, industrial supplies, logistics or chemical product warehouses make use of these raised walkway structures.

Mezzanine applications are also very varied, providing for new storage, picking, office or changing room zones, for example. Among the most frequent uses made of these structures, we would highlight:

• Storage of boxes, pallets, or loose packages.
• Order preparation zones.
• Support for light-duty shelving, thereby generating open-plan spaces below.
• Zones of access to other storage systems.
• Picking and cross-docking in controlled temperature warehouses for the purposes of maximising use of the upper zone of the refrigerated store.

Main advantages of installing industrial mezzanines

• Optimisation of storage surface at height, making use of the vertical space.
• Easy to install and reuse. Easy to assemble and can be fully dismantled, meaning its elements can be adapted to other warehouse zones or to possible changes in location.
• With no works or interruptions in the activity. No civil works are required, welding works or other that would interrupt or disturb the main activity of the building or premises, beyond the area where the metal structure is installed.
• It is a very robust and secure metal structure that offers great stability for both loads and employees walking on the different levels.
• There are different types of mezzanines totally adaptable to the needs of each warehouse and space, and to the different mechanical transportation elements, such as scissor platforms, service lifts…

In addition to all these benefits, our mezzanines offer:

• Customisation. Delivered as a prefabricated assembly tailored to your requirements. You can choose between the different types of flooring, number of levels based on the available space, etc.…
• Qualified installation. Our mezzanines are installed by highly qualified personnel with experience in this type of infrastructure, guaranteeing a swift assembly and compliance with all safety-related regulations.

Types of POLYPAL mezzanines: on columns and on racking/shelving

Regarding mezzanine installation, new levels can be created on columns or on a structure consisting of racking or shelving.

Mezzanine on columns

Make the most of your space at height by generating a more open-plan space below to allow for the circulation of handling equipment such as pallet jacks or stackers.

This type of mezzanine offers a great load capacity, from 300 kg/m2 to 1,500 kg/m² and pillars can be installed with spacings of 10 metres or more.

Mezzanine on racking/shelving

In this case, the mezzanine is built on a lower structure of racking/shelving storage designed to store classified goods. The type of system that can act as the support would be:

• Pallet racking
• Medium duty or picking shelves
• Cantilever racking for long loads

In the case of this structure, the permitted load capacity is between 200 kg/m² and 1,000 kg/m².

Mezzanine safety elements and accessories

To comply with safety parameters for these structures, we have a series of safety elements and accessories designed to protect the system and avoid risks for both the loads and the operators. The main accessories are:

• Handrails. To avoid risks and accidental falls. POLYPAL’s handrails are made of steel and aluminium pipe and meet the requirements laid down in standard UNE-EN 14122.
• Stairs. Our metal stairs are made without sharp edges and offer great stability and resistance. Their design and technical characteristics are compliant with standard UNE-EN 14122 for industrial stairs.
• Safety doors. These safety barriers protect people when pallets or goods are being lifted to the mezzanines. Where loads are deposited or collected, on the opposite end, a safety railing is always provided.
• Enclosures. If required for safety purposes, we install enclosures with wire mesh to act as a restricted access element, separate different mezzanine zones or as a safety complement to the railings.
• Pillar guards. To protect mezzanine pillars from possible impacts, in zones where handling equipment such as forklifts travel, we install this type of protection that absorbs impacts and prevents damage to the structure.

POLYPAL Mezzanine success cases

At POLYPAL, we install an annual average of 15,000 m² of mezzanine floors, adapting these structures to our clients’ different spaces and requirements. As experts in designing and manufacturing storage systems, we recommend using this type of mezzanine, storage conditions permitting, on account of its great versatility, swift installation and savings in costs and works.

Some of the important projects to have installed our mezzanines are:

• Mezzanine for the refrigerated store of Montfrisa: For this reference logistics operator in the food sector, we installed a mezzanine in the zone of the central refrigerated store. The mezzanine has 3 levels, and a height of 9.2 metres. Thanks to this structure, we managed to create a storage surface of 1,080 m² with capacity for 1,672 pallets.

• Mezzanine for the Tendam e-commerce warehouse: The mezzanine solution for this textiles group was suggested for the folded garment picking area. A total surface of 12,000 m² was created in two consecutive phases, for a uniform load of 500 kg/m². Regarding the materials, a floor of 38mm fireproof chipboard and galvanised metal sheet was installed.

• Mezzanine for the automotive spare parts warehouse of Nafer: One of the greatest challenges of this project was to offer a storage solution adequate for a large quantity of references. At POLYPAL, we decided to compartmentalise the warehouse on different levels using a mezzanines system. A mezzanine of 316 m² was built where racking was installed making the most of the surface at height and facilitating classification, organisation, access and stock-taking.