How Many Pounds Per Square Foot Do I Need For My Mezzanine?

While calculating pounds per square foot is not complicated, knowing how many pounds per square foot you need for your mezzanine can be a little trickier. 

You’ll have to answer some of the following questions to get an idea of your pounds per square foot requirement. 

Pounds per Square Foot Calculator

What is the mezzanine space going to be used for?

A mezzanine that will be used as additional office space, hold cubicles and see relatively light foot traffic will not need the same amount of pounds per square foot (PSF) as a mezzanine used as heavy-duty storage or one used as a workspace for manufacturing.

A mezzanine that is only used for storage may need less PSF than a mezzanine that will have pallet jacks or forklifts moving across it.

This is because a concentrated load, like the weight from a pallet jack, will require a higher PSF than a load that is spread out evenly.

For example, if you use an overhead crane to store things on your mezzanine, you will see a more even load distribution.

Also if no vibration can be allowed (e.x. You print decals or lottery tickets) then you may need a higher PSF to make the mezzanine floor stiffer

What would be the maximum weight the customer is trying to hold in a 4×8 area?

After you determine what your mezzanine space will be used for, it will be time to calculate the weight that will go on the floor.

Typically you’ll want to do the calculation for a 4×8 area because that will be the size of any Advantech or RelTech flooring panels on your mezzanine.

You can use the same calculation that we used earlier, just substituting your own weight requirements.

So if you needed to store 4,000lbs in a 4×8 area, you would take 4,000 divided by 32 (the square footage of 4×8) and get 125 pounds per square foot.

Besides just knowing what the required PSF is, it is also useful to know what your ideal flooring option would be.

What mezzanine floor am I using?

Your business may require a certain kind of mezzanine flooring option, which can have an affect on the PSF capability.

If you need a shock-absorbing floor that will have high foot traffic or a smooth floor for factory bots to easily move across, you may need a particular kind of mezzanine floor.

That flooring material will also come with different PSF capabilities.

So determining the right flooring option for your mezzanine is a good first step before calculating your PSF needs.

Conclusion

Your mezzanine floor strength is a crucial part of being able to use your mezzanine effectively.

Knowing that your mezzanine is strong enough to handle whatever you put on top of it, will give you peace of mind from accidents and safety violations.

To get some additional assistance with determining which mezzanine options are right for you, contact a representative at PWI.

We’ve helped many businesses get the best mezzanine for their needs, and we’ll be able to quickly determine what the most cost-effective options are for your business needs.