Two Story and
Vision Tower ™
Inplant office and modular building design

Specifications

The design of a two story office includes three items in addition to the standard design of any two single floor offices. This includes:

The structural design, which is the proper beams every 4' on center (in accordance with the beam loading tables) and structural Inserts or columns to support the beams.
The flooring for the second level. The standard is 3/4" T & G plywood underlayment which is acceptable for carpeting. A second wood floor will need to be applied perpendicular to
the first wood deck if tile is going to be used, fastening the floor down securely is essential to prevent cracking. Bonding the floor and steel deck with liquid nails is excellent, but permanent. All decking should be staggered for strength.
The stairs and landing. Check for clearance, see notes below.

The design of a Vision Tower™ includes the mezzanine (see the Mezzanine section for details) and the standard office design.

Both systems offer excellent use of floor space and better visibility for supervision of personnel and manufacturing.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

BEAMS

If possible use the same depth beams so your columns are universal. If two beams share the same column they must be the same size since they will both sit on top of the column. Make sure the column can handle the load. As a heavy standard 100 PSF floor loading or L/360 is used. However lighter loads such as 75 PSF are acceptable. Some codes will allow 50 PSF L/360 loading, Check you local codes to see what is required.

PANELS

Consider the panel layout, Posts should line up on the first and second floor for appearance, structurally it will not make a difference. With the Plant Master™ system this is a requirement because the outside posts are full height. Interior walls can support loads and take the place of any beam. Beam flanges are usually wider than the 3" space between the panels, so if a beams design is such that it would pass through this area the panels will require field notching.

STAIRS

Consider the clearance for the stairs and landing. Stairs incline at about 33 degrees which means 8' stairs will stick out a nominal 12' plus 4' for the landing. Stairs are half modesty type, 36" wide, OSHA and BOCA code design, check your local code if this is acceptable. The stairs are primer coated only, field painting may need to be arranged.

Note: Stairs over 12' high are required by OSHA to have a double landing that splits the incline allowing for a rest.

DOORS

Do not place doors under stairs, there is adequate space to do so, however if it is a heavy traffic area the restricted space could be a hazard. Doors on top of stairs should swing into the room and have a window to prevent a person from being knocked down the stairs. Check local codes for door swings, some require doors to swing out for fire escape reasons.

WINDOWS

Do not put windows in the path of the stairs. The view is obstructed and there may be some liability or threat of harassment for women that work on the second floor and wear dresses.

OVERALL HEIGHT

Consider the height of the warehouse, The standard office height is figured by adding the two floors panel height plus 4-1/4" for the panel height growth, roof decking and flooring. 12' wide two stories require a minimum of 16' 4-1/4" clearance because the beams used can be 6" deep and the panels can be 8' high, up to 20' wide requires 17' 4-1/4" clearance because the support beams are deeper than 6" and would require a 9' first floor panel. Any beams deeper than 6" require a minimum 9' panel on the first floor. Options such as using an existing roof or using a roof panel on the second floor could help lower the height necessary for a two story.

CEILING HEIGHT and PLENUM SPACE

Check local codes for the required ceiling height before adjusting this to meet overall height restrictions. Make sure there is enough plenum space to allow room for your beams and central air ducts if used.

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