William Canning, Birmingham.
Over the years Mezzanine has designed and installed numerous platforms to carry specific machinery.

When William Canning Ltd, the international speciality chemicals group, decided to install sophisticated automatic batching at its Birmingham site, a structure designed to allow complete access to the mixing and bulk storage tanks was required. RDA Projects, the Nottingham based structural steel floor specialists, a long standing client of Mezzanine, was appointed main contractor. In turn, the design, manufacture and installation of the support / access structure was placed with Mezzanine. The structure was also required to accommodate a laboratory / office complex controlling the complete operation.

The main mezzanine level at 4.2m height carries the control equipment and inflow into the tanks, as well as the laboratory / office complex.
An upper walkway at 6.9m height, extends the whole length of the 28.5m long structure, giving a complete overview of, and access to, the production area.

Although the tanks are self supported on the ground floor, they extend through the mezzanine level. The structure itself has to support a variety of equipment, including scrubbing / dust extraction systems and pallet trucks with 1200kg pallets. It was essential that the structure design ensured a stable environment, particularly in the heavily computerised laboratory / office area.

The client expects to operate a no loss plant, i.e. no spills. It was decided, however, that the main mezzanine area and upper walkway would be decked in Durbar steel plates, butt welded and then sealed with a resin coating. Along the rear of the mixing tanks, under the upper walkway, the total length was decked in open mesh hinged gratings, over in-built sump trays.