Mezzanines
Mezzanine is defined as being "an
intermediate floor assembly between the floor and ceiling of any room or storey
and includes an interior balcony".
The consideration of mezzanines as storeys is dependant on
the area of the mezzanine in relation to the total area
of the room. If the mezzanine is considered as a storey, then it must be taken
into account when determining the height of a building. The reason that this
consideration is important is because of the added requirements that come with a ‘two’ storey building as opposed to one
storey building.
Why worry about whether the mezzanine is a
storey or not?
For the purpose of determining building code
requirements vis-à-vis fire protection and construction types, building height
is measured in storeys, not feet or metres. The height of a building plays a
pivotal role in a series of decisions that need to be made in terms of design
and construction. The main criteria that change are the construction
requirements and the fire ratings.
Figure 1
Mezzanine floor in relation to Building Height
Building Size Determination
1.
Mezzanines are not considered to be storeys for
the purpose of determining the building height if:
a.
the total area of the mezzanine floor does not
exceed 10% of the suite in which it is located,
b.
the total area of the mezzanine floor does not
exceed 10% of the storey in which it is located.
2.
Mezzanines are not considered to be storeys for
the purpose of determining the building height if :
a.
the total area of the mezzanine floor in relation
to the entire area of the room does not exceed 40% and,
b.
there are no visual obstructions more than 1070
mm (3 ft 6 in) above the floor.
.
.