The three quiet decisions
- Live load — 5 kPa is conservative for office; 12 kPa or higher is required for material storage. Choosing 5 when the operation needs 12 leads to retrofit within two years.
- Deflection limit — span/360 is code minimum; span/480 or span/600 is appropriate for vibration-sensitive use.
- Vibration class — pedestrian-only or forklift-loaded; the difference cascades into composite-action requirements.
What MEC delivers on mezzanine design
A documented load schedule signed off by the owner before detailing begins, a deflection-and-vibration analysis where the use-case warrants it, and a composite-floor design with shear-stud schedules for forklift-loaded mezzanines.
Lead-magnet download: Our mezzanine load decision worksheet — the same template we issue at the start of every mezzanine project. Request the worksheet.