Building Up When You’re Short of Floor Space

Floor space is at a premium in many factories. That is a problem when you need more room for people, equipment, processes, or materials storage.

A Starrco 2-story modular office allows you to build up, effectively doubling your space by adding a second floor.

There is always a lot of pressure for floor space, but most factories have a lot of vertical room, so building up makes a lot of sense. Many of our customers install a load-bearing single story building first. When they need to expand, they can easily and quickly attach the second level without disrupting their initial investment.”
– Steve Schmidt, National Sales Manager, Starrco

Designed for strength

For load-bearing walls, Starrco uses its SS3500 system. It is specified to support loads of up to 125psf.

The second level is built using the SS3000-wall system which is not load bearing.

Custom-built stairs

Starrco manufactures all stairs and landings at its facility in St. Louis. Each staircase is designed and then precision engineered for an exact fit. They are made from welded steel and are specified to meet all building and safety codes.

Cantilevered catwalks

Many customers choose to design their 2-story buildings with catwalks instead of internal halls. This maximizes usable space on the second floor while minimizing the building’s footprint.

Catwalks are not just for people. They are a good spot for some types of equipment. For example, putting a modular HVAC system on the catwalk means it can easily be attached to internal ductwork.

Planning for the future

Even if you don’t need the space today, but know you will need to expand in the future, the engineers at Starrco can manufacture your first floor with load-bearing walls. This makes it easy and cost effective to add a second floor when it is needed.

In the meantime, a safety rail can be installed on the roof of the first floor to turn it into a load-bearing mezzanine level which can be used to store materials, products, or parts.

The flexibility to quickly expand

When you are ready to add space, the engineers at Starrco will assess your building plans and manufacture your new second floor to integrate seamlessly with your existing building.

Your installation crew will fasten the new panels to the existing structure, connect your utilities, and your second floor will be ready to use.

The ability to add a second floor to a Starrco modular building when you need it is not just convenient, but also less wasteful and a lot faster than conventional construction. For factories, that means more uptime. With Starrco, there is no messy demo, no sanding, no hammering, and no painting.

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