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Anchor/mounting requirements for equipment up on mezzanines?

C

CaiusFlint

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Joined
Oct 18, 2023
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5
Location
Columbus Ohio
Hello all,

New to the forum and wanted to get input or direction on basic anchoring requirements when putting equipment (especially belt conveyors) and/or other structures up on large freestanding mezzanines.

The floors are all metal grate. But as it stands now- all the equipment put up on this level has been fixed in place with only simple tack-welds on the feet of the conveyor stands to the grating below. Seems like it might be lacking.

If anyone can point me to any sort of building code requirements for anchoring equipment on mezzanines, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Flint
 
CaiusFlint said:
Hello all,

New to the forum and wanted to get input or direction on basic anchoring requirements when putting equipment (especially belt conveyors) and/or other structures up on large freestanding mezzanines.

The floors are all metal grate. But as it stands now- all the equipment put up on this level has been fixed in place with only simple tack-welds on the feet of the conveyor stands to the grating below. Seems like it might be lacking.

If anyone can point me to any sort of building code requirements for anchoring equipment on mezzanines, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Flint
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Pictures would help. I suppose it depends on the size and weight of the equipment but welding to the top of a grate seems wrong.
 
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The equipment manufacturers literature would be my first go to.

I've specified a lot of gear anchored to bar grate - stage rigging - and always bolts and U clips or J -bolts. I worried more about the bar great anchorage.
 
Thanks for the input thus far. I want to get pics. But no phones on the floor is a pretty hard and fast thing where I'm at. But, I am workin on it :)

And yeah, it's basic conveyor stand (36" smooth belt) along with the basic feet stands thereof, and I can probably get something online as far at literature goes.

Given the sprawling complex web of building codes, I gotta think maybe that- along with doing load-bearing calcs, there are specifications for various fastening requirements, types of anchor, metal grade, etc., that one needs to meet code. I could see maybe, good long bead welds maybe sufficing. But these are that lol.

I'll try to get some pics, and thanks again.
 
Grate is thin material that presents a narrow edge to weld to. The steel is usually galvanized. The burning zinc might affect the weld and the welder. Having seen plenty of equipment located on grateing and never seen it welded I can only say that there’s a plethora of hardware for that purpose.

However, there is not a lot in the Code that addresses a conveyor belt. Most of what I have encountered has been electrical equipment such as panels, transformers, raceway etc. All of that has a Code to apply.

I don’t know your role in this so I can’t offer advice other than to say that I know what I would do.
 
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CaiusFlint said:
Given the sprawling complex web of building codes, I gotta think maybe that- along with doing load-bearing calcs, there are specifications for various fastening requirements, types of anchor, metal grade, etc., that one needs to meet code. I could see maybe, good long bead welds maybe sufficing. But these are that lol.
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Despite the "sprawling complex web of building codes," they are building codes. What you are asking about seems to me to be process equipment, not building equipment, and for that reason it's not regulated by building codes. (At least, not in the U.S. I am not conversant with Canadian building codes.) Basically, are we talking about something similar to a UPS or FedEx sorting center?

O would look at OSHA rather than at the IBC (or whatever the Ohio equivalent is).
 
ICE said:
Grate is thin material that presents a narrow edge to weld to. The steel is usually galvanized.
Click to expand...
There are heavier versions and non- galvanized which I used over stages. 1/4" x 2" bars and welded cross bars. (quick Google and I see bars up to 1/2" x 6".) Just suggesting not much info here.
 
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Equipment might be required to be anchored in high seismic areas or if it's top-heavy. The only other reason I can think of for anchoring it is to prevent it from walking due to vibrations,
 
Yankee Chronicler said:
Despite the "sprawling complex web of building codes," they are building codes. What you are asking about seems to me to be process equipment, not building equipment, and for that reason it's not regulated by building codes. (At least, not in the U.S. I am not conversant with Canadian building codes.) Basically, are we talking about something similar to a UPS or FedEx sorting center?

O would look at OSHA rather than at the IBC (or whatever the Ohio equivalent is).
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It is in a building. Building codes apply
 
Since you recognize that a tack weld is not adequate and since there is no prescriptive provision in the building code this suggests that you need to talk to an engineer who is knowledgeable about the more general code provisions.
 
Depending on the equipment, particularly if it has any vibration or movement, it is critical to evaluate not only the mounting, but the capacity of the mezzanine to support the equipment. Dead loads are pretty straight forward... but any motion/vibration in the equipment can induce additional stress upon the mezzanine platform. These loads and stresses need to be carefully reviewed and analyzed as it will not only affect the mounting/connection, but could also impact the design of the mezzanine.
 
So, I found a couple pics online that go 99% of the way in what my setup looks like.

I've got a raised platform, 36" belt conveyor running on top (similar to top pic).

The feet are the run-of-the-mill you see in the stock photo (bottom center).

I found a warehouse surplus pic where the guy caught one of the stand feet (blue bottom right), sitting on metal grate (similar to bottom left).



Just imagine a few tack-welds on the dog ears of the stand feet, to the grating below. That's all that is holding it down, and that's pretty much everything up there.

Hope this helps.


conv mont.jpg
 
CaiusFlint said:
So, I found a couple pics online that go 99% of the way in what my setup looks like.

I've got a raised platform, 36" belt conveyor running on top (similar to top pic).

The feet are the run-of-the-mill you see in the stock photo (bottom center).

I found a warehouse surplus pic where the guy caught one of the stand feet (blue bottom right), sitting on metal grate (similar to bottom left).



Just imagine a few tack-welds on the dog ears of the stand feet, to the grating below. That's all that is holding it down, and that's pretty much everything up there.

Hope this helps.


View attachment 11750
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Scary.

Go get an engineer.

Sounds like the is cobbled together. The catwalks may even be at risk of failure (immediate or long term). At this point, who knows if the catwalks were even designed to support the equipment that you have up there.

You should not get an answer from anyone here. Your answer requires an engineer to review the existing structure, the equipment installed, and to design the connection between.
 
Have you seen it running? Looks pretty innocous to me, and not something covered by building or fire codes.

Ask the owner for documentation.
 
So...I'm an industrial engineer. I'm not a PE, but there's nothing "scary" upstairs, or any structural concerns (load bearing, etc).

To be sure, the sub-contractor that ran all the conveyor in the bldg- did they do a full wham-bam-thank-you-maam job...absolutely.

It naturally could be secured better. My first concern is simply if there are some hard and fast anchor requirements in code to some effect of "fastener specs for anchoring equipment when on platforms/mezzanines."

Put another way- additional funds for more projects are more easily acquired when something is in "violation." If anyone here has had to work within large co. budget constraints, then you know what I mean and have at times had to play this game.
 
CaiusFlint said:
It naturally could be secured better. My first concern is simply if there are some hard and fast anchor requirements in code to some effect of "fastener specs for anchoring equipment when on platforms/mezzanines."
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The answer is no. Look to the manufacturer of the conveyor. That’s the entity that can tell you to mount the support legs, securely fixed in place…. And depending on your authority, that’s when you turn it down.

Myself, I wouldn’t waste time with the conveyor manufacturer…. I would assume my way to the next step. Now some here will say that I lack that authority because I am merely a building inspector…. Well I‘ve been on the other side of that bridge for a long time.
 
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Yankee Chronicler said:
The building code applies to process equipment?

Please cite the code section(s) that say that.
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I refer you to Chapter 16 dealing with structural design. They talk about structures.

Ask your structural engineer what code sections he or she uses.
 
Mark K said:
How do you seperate the installation/attachment from the loads?

Are you an engineer?
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Mark, please read everything that I've posted. I think it is evident that I was responding in a very general sense. I was being simplistic and I have been advocating that an engineer is needed throughout this thread.

My point is that the IBC does not give any specific requirements for installation of equipment. It is generally beyond the scope of the IBC and is more often regulated by OSHA. What the IBC does cover is how equipment is supported (i.e. loads restrained), how persons access and leave work areas (MoE), etc.
 
Chapter 16 essentially says the building structure has to be designed to support the loads it is intended to carry. If the original design knows there will be an especially heavy machine placed at a specific location within the building, the engineer designs the floor (or mezzanine) to support that load, as either a distributed or concentrated load as appropriate.

The code says nothing about how the machine gets anchored to the building.
 
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