Mezzanine Floors That Double Your Space Without Moving

A mezzanine floor is a raised steel platform installed inside an existing building to create additional usable floor space without expanding the structure. It uses available ceiling height to add a second level for storage, picking, office space, or light assembly. Mezzanine floors are typically bolted steel structures that can be installed in most warehouses or factories with a clear internal height of 5 metres or more.

Mezzanine floor costs in South Africa vary significantly based on size, load class, structure type and access requirements. Spode provides a fixed-price quote after an on-site assessment. Contact us to get an accurate figure for your space.

Yes. In South Africa a mezzanine floor is classified as a structural addition that increases floor area, and therefore requires building plan approval from your local municipality under the National Building Regulations (Act 103 of 1977) before installation begins. Building plans must be submitted to your local municipality for approval, and structural drawings must be approved and signed off by a registered Professional Engineer (Pr Eng) in accordance with SANS 10160 and SANS 10162-1. If the property is a sectional title, Body Corporate approval is also required, and you may need to extend existing fire sprinkler systems to cover the mezzanine area. Installing without approval can result in fines, a stop-work order, or a demolition order. Spode provides full structural drawings and engineering calculations to support your building plan submission.

It depends on the size and specification of the project. Structural design, engineering sign-off, fabrication and on-site assembly each add time, and so do material and stock availability and the scope of the installation itself. Access, multi-tier designs and phasing the work around live operations all affect the time spent on site. Steelwork is fabricated off-site before it arrives, which keeps on-site time and disruption to a minimum. We confirm the timeline once we have assessed your requirements, and a firm project timeline is provided with every quotation.

A rack-supported mezzanine floor uses pallet racking uprights as the support structure for the deck. It is cost-effective where racking already exists or is being installed alongside. A structural steel mezzanine floor uses an independent column-and-beam frame, giving more flexibility in span, column placement and load class. Structural steel is better suited to heavier loads, larger spans, or facilities where the racking layout may change.

Yes. Spode supplies modular bolt-together mezzanine floors that can be disassembled, relocated and re-erected in a new facility. This is a significant advantage over permanent construction. Welded structures are harder to relocate, though it is possible in many cases. When planning a mezzanine for a leased building, the structure can be designed to allow for full dismantling at lease end.

Mezzanine floor load capacity depends on the design specification. Standard light-duty pick-and-pack floors are typically rated at 250 kg per square metre live load. Medium-duty storage floors range from 350 to 500 kg per square metre. Heavy-duty pallet storage or machinery platforms can be designed for 750 kg per square metre or more. Every floor is engineered to the specific load requirements of the use case rather than to a generic standard.