Existing mezzanine proves easy to relocate

The role of the University of Wisconsin’s State Surplus SWAP Shop (Surplus With A Purpose) is to collect, process and redistribute surplus property generated by two- and four-year UW campuses and other state agencies. As part of a plan to consolidate resources and streamline operations, the state closed two smaller facilities and built a new 101,000-square-foot facility. After successfully relocating an existing mezzanine from one of the smaller facilities into the new one, supervisors elected to install another new mezzanine (Wildeck, wildeck.com) that was equally portable.

In line with its own mission to redistribute surplus property, the organization recognized that the older mezzanine, installed in the late 1980s, had performed well and still had several serviceable years left, says Robin Nicholson, SWAP Shop warehouse supervisor. “Although it is more than 20 years old, it works great for our needs, and we had no reason to replace it,” Nicholson says. “Relocating the mezzanine was easy and cost effective. We’ve had great success with the supplier’s mezzanines, so we purchased another one for the new facility.”

Knowing he wanted to add a second mezzanine, Nicholson laid out a plan. The top level would be used for general storage, with a portion of space being rented out to other state agencies to accommodate their storage needs. The lower level would serve as a library that would include a workstation for processing incoming book orders and transfers.

The new mezzanine was designed to fit their immediate needs of storage and the library, but could also be expanded in the future to adapt to new applications and additional capacity. The mezzanine, which was built in November 2012, also had a sprinkler system installed on the lower level to meet state fire codes.

The University’s School of Music is using the other older mezzanine for storage. The lower level is secured with fencing and used to store computers and other electronic equipment. Both of the university’s mezzanines are modular structures that can be disassembled and relocated to accommodate changing needs, whereas mezzanines that are fixed in-place with concrete cannot be moved.