US Naval Research Laboratory, Key West, FL

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory began operations in 1923, seven years after inventor Thomas Edison suggested that the Government establish “a great research laboratory.” Over 100 years later, they continue to extend their legacy of innovation and discovery with cutting-edge science and transition of capabilities to the Naval Services and constituents.

The Mezzanine Company has extensive experience with the US Navy, from several projects in Bethesda, MD to Fort Lauderdale, FL, and most recently with a large, multiyear project through Electric Boat in Rhode Island.

Recently, they were looking to increase their storage space in a machine shop at their Key West location. In order to do so, they were looking to make use of some of the unused air space. A storage mezzanine was the perfect solution.

When contacted, we were ready to take on the project, which, being in “The Keys”, would make this our southernmost job to date!

Working closely with the US Naval Laboratory, we came up with a design for a ~1,300 square foot custom platform that would serve their needs. For the flooring, ResinDek would be used.

The platform included one 6’ sliding gate to enable them to load and unload materials from the platform. For employee access, an IBC staircase and a caged ladder were provided. In order to customize the design to their needs, we designed the column locations to avoid columns in the interior of the mezzanine.

Once the approval drawings were generated, our local project manager made a site visit to make the finishing design adjustments. Additionally, P.E. Stamped Drawings, for the State of FL, were provided for the permitting process.

When the platform production was complete, we arranged for a prompt delivery and coordinated together the best installation schedule.  In the end, the US Naval Laboratory ended up with the required space needed for storage, with a minimal impact to operations.

Matthew Krupa had this to say about our services: “The Mezzanine Company was very professional, timely, and responsive. The site visit and engineering support was exceptional and helped our organization tailor the design to meet our true needs. We plan on purchasing another mezzanine in the future”.