I have reviewed quite a few drawings for major small bay developments - 50+ bays. About half get it right, and the other half is bird shot (large spray of data points for those of familiar with the term). Mezzanines may only cover 1/3 of the open floor area - not 1/2 or 2/3 or 100%. Although there are exceptions to every rule, 99% of the time small bays fall under IBC 505.2.1. So, for a 1,000SF SB unit, the max sized mezzanine that can be installed is 333SF.

I had an impromptu phone call yesterday discussing slab thickness requirements for mezzanines inside their Small Bays. The answer: it’s complex. Officially speaking, we need to run engineering calculations which include a plethora of inputs - foundation type (gravel, sand, void, etc), mezzanine layout and square footage, capacity (normally 100-125PSF for small bay, but can sometimes be required to be 150PSF due to building classification), and number of columns to name a few. Generally speaking, you MIGHT be able to squeak by with 4” slabs, but it’s risky. I prefer 5” minimum (gravel or equivalent substrate). If on a void, it could require thicker 6-8”+, or footers down the line. Then of course, what’s the cost? Is it more cost effective to pour 5” everywhere, 4” on half and 5” the other, or 4” everywhere and install footers as necessary? That’s when a good GC is nice to have. Don’t skimp in the beginning, or risk the biscuit later. I hope this helps generate better conversation around the topic during your development process.

Anyone else planning to be there? I'll be at Flex Connect this year. Two days, fully focused on flex and small bay: construction costs, financing and capital stacks, deal structure, live underwriting, the real operator stuff, not general CRE fluff. I negotiated a discount rate for Basecamp members, link below contains the discount code. Also floating an idea: if there's enough interest, I may put together a casual networking event, happy hour, dinner, the evening before (Sept 29th) for anyone in town early. Drop a comment if that's something you'd want, that'll help me gauge numbers. I am not affiliated with the conference, but I attended it a couple years ago and found it very informative. https://flexspaceconnect.com/home?am_id=willskillman8975

We ran a poll, and monthly won clearly over weekly - so let's make it happen. The format: A 45-60 min call built entirely around meeting people, not listening to a presentation. We'll break into rooms of 3-4 for 15-minute rounds, rotating 3-4 times - so by the end you'll have actually talked to 6-10 people in the community.. No prep needed. Show up, introduce yourself, talk shop, repeat. Now the hard part: picking a day and time that works. We're spread across time zones and schedules, so rather than guess, help me find the best fit. Rather than run another poll with a long list of days and times, drop a comment with your best day/time (and time zone) - e.g. 'Tuesday evenings, ET' or 'Weekend mornings, CT.'" I will leave this open for 7 days and then try to find a day and time that works for as many people as possible.

Hello everyone. Look forward to engaging and learning with the group. We have built and owned many flex/industrial buildings but have our first true small bay project about to start moving dirt.