Mezzanine Floor for Buildings: Important Features and Types

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A mezzanine floor is an intermediate floor space built between two floors or between the floor and the ceiling. A mezzanine floor doubles the usable space of an overhead floor. These floors can be applied to any building space.

Mezzanine floors are designed for a specific building area rather than utilizing the entire floor area. They utilize free vertical space by converting it to an additional room above and below the floor.

Mezzanine floor structures are built mainly free of existing structures. They are often custom-made as per the need and specifications of the client. Mezzanine floors can be made out of concrete, steel, or wood.

This article explains the important features, types, and benefits of mezzanine floors in construction.

Features of Mezzanine Floors

Mezzanine floors are constructed halfway up the wall on a floor with a ceiling at least twice the minimum height of the floor. It is not counted as a floor in the building and not included while determining the maximum floor space.

As per the International Building Code, a mezzanine floor must have a minimum of one-third of the floor space of the floor below it. When there are two or more mezzanine floors in the building, the sum of areas of floor space of mezzanines must not be greater than one-third the sum of floor space of the complete floor below.

Mezzanine floors are used in modern architecture that gives importance to light and space. It is mainly employed in the retail environment to increase the storage space or boost the selling space. It is nowadays used in residential buildings and libraries as a decorative element.

Usually, the minimum height of the mezzanine floor above and below the floor must be 2 m. Then the total height of the room planned to have a mezzanine floor should be around 4.2 m, given the depth of floor is 20 cm. If a fire-rated ceiling is installed, this height would increase to 4.4 m.

Types of Mezzanine Floor Construction

The mezzanine floor construction can be of the following types:

1. Concrete mezzanine floor construction
2. Steel mezzanine floor construction
3. Wooden mezzanine floor construction

1. Concrete Mezzanine Floor Construction

Concrete mezzanine floors are one of the most durable types of mezzanine floors. They have the ability to take heavy loads because of which they have gained popularity in industrial and high-capacity military applications where the mezzanine is permanent.

Some of the benefits of concrete mezzanine floors are:

1. Minimal noise transmission through the floor deck.
2. Increased fire resistance
3. Low-cost maintenance
4. Increased damp resistance
5. Construction is fast with increased stiffness
6. The high thermal mass of concrete floors lowers the energy demand for thermal comfort

2. Steel Mezzanine Floor Construction

Steel mezzanine floor construction is one of the common decking options for industrial and office buildings. Its design provides solid and secure resistance to foot traffic.

The benefits of steel mezzanine floors are:

1. Enhanced strength
2. High moisture resistance
3. Economic construction
4. Low maintenance
5. High strength and durability

3. Wooden Mezzanine Floor Construction

Wooden mezzanine floors are preferred to provide an elegant look to the space. They add beauty and warmth to the building area and are an excellent choice for office space or retail store environment.

The important benefits of wooden mezzanine floors are:

1. Good strength and durability
2. Treated hardwood for mezzanine floors last for years
3. Carry heavy foot traffic and active workspaces
4. Easy installation
5. Can be cleaned easily
6. Provide better acoustics
7. Improve indoor quality

Advantages of Mezzanine Floors

The main advantages of mezzanine floors are:

1. They increase the space of the interiors.
2. They can be installed easily, causing minimal disruption to the business.
3. The available space is utilized by better organizing, which improves the business output and performance.
4. They can be made portable or fixed based on the requirement.
5. They provide excellent fire protection and lighting options.

The benefits of steel mezzanine floors are:

1. Enhanced strength
2. High moisture resistance
3. Economic construction
4. Low maintenance
5. High strength and durability

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