3. INTRODUCTION (OVERVIEW)
What is a raised floor?
A raised floor (also called raised flooring, access flooring, or raised-access
computer floor) provides an elevated structural floor above a solid substrate
(often a concrete slab) to create a hidden void for the passage of mechanical and
electrical services. Raised floors are widely used in modern office buildings, and
in specialized areas such as command centres, Information technology data
centres and computer rooms, where there is a requirement to route mechanical
services and cables, wiring, and electrical supply. Such flooring can be installed at
varying heights from 2 inches (51 mm) to heights above 4 feet (1.2 m) to suit
services that may be accommodated beneath. Additional structural support and
lighting are often provided when a floor is raised enough for a person to crawl or
even walk beneath.
4. A raised floor generally consists of evenly spaced metal
framework or pedestals on a concrete base that feature
adjustable height and removable panels. A raised floor
is often found in environments that require cables and
mechanical facilities, electrical supplies and wiring.
The raised floor system usually has removable panels
so that there is access to the area below.
The panels can be made from a variety of materials
such as:
• Steel with a cement internal core
• Plexiglas that can be custom made
• Steel clad with particle board
• Aluminium with a cementitious core
Panels are often white in colour but can be covered
with variable floor finishes like carpet tiles, stone, high
pressure laminate finish for added protection, and anti-
static finishes for safeguarding against static electricity.
5. Automatic fire protection systems and additional fire
suppression systems may need to be installed
beneath the panels to meet safety guidelines.
Likewise, it is important to have scheduled
inspections for structural integrity to ensure that
there are no problems like breaks between panels
that could cause damage to equipment or injury to
personnel.
A raised floor is especially beneficial in computer
labs, data centres, server rooms, or any environment
with computer equipment. Some of the benefits can
include:
- Minimizes dust that may block fan vents
- Cable entry points can be sealed to maximize the
6. TYPES OF RAISED ACCESS FLOOR
Raised access floors were initially a
tough sell for architects when
designing office spaces, even though
they became a popular choice for
industrial and commercial buildings.
The standard floor height resulted in
a reduction in room volume, so it
wasn't an ideal solution.
7. • An example of a typical UFAD (Under Floor Air
Distribution) system
• Raised flooring became considerably more
appealing for all sorts of structures after the
advent of varied height profiles. Recognizing that
no two spaces are the same, raised access floors
are now available in a range of heights, with full-
height and low-profile raised floors being the most
prevalent.
• Finally, the option will be determined by design
and utilization functions, as well as minimum floor
heights to accommodate building services.
Minimum finished floor height (FFH) regulations
vary by building service:
8. FLOORS WITH FULL-HEIGHT ACCESS
• Full-height access floors have floor heights ranging from six to 24
inches, and hence give the most plenum volume. Because the
interior volumes and floor levels must be coordinated to completely
integrate with the overall building design, they are an excellent
choice for new construction.
• The greater plenum area is required to handle all the UFAD HVAC
system's piping, wiring, and pressured airflow delivery components,
as well as the services infrastructure required to operate a big,
heavily populated building or the cooling needs of a data Centre. For
greater accessibility and serviceability of underfloor components,
higher floor heights are frequently chosen.
9. RAISED FLOOR WITH A LOW PROFILE
Low-Profile raised floor systems are appropriate for retrofits and/or
when a building's floor-to-ceiling height limits prevent a full-height
installation from being feasible.
Although the standard width of the floor panels further decreases the
available plenum volume, the support pedestals typically range in
height from two and a half to five inches. Despite these challenges, a
low-profile raised access floor system may be a great way to manage
wires and equipment while allowing for creative flexibility.
10. RAISED FLOOR PANELS
• The nature of floor panels is modular. They are typically 2'x2' in
dimension, with an average thickness of 1.5 inches. Customized
flooring coatings are applied to a steel shell that surrounds a wood
or cement core to create the panels.
• Hollow steel or polycarbonate cores are offered in some low-profile
panels. Because of their narrower width, these types are appropriate
for low-profile floors, albeit they won't be able to withstand the
same weight loads as full-height cement core floor panels.
• Steel pedestal supports, which may be pre-set or changed to the
required height, support standard elevated floor panels. Swivel head
pedestals, which allow ramping on uneven floor surfaces, and
11. RAISED ACCESS FLOOR PANEL FINISHES
Floor panels area available in many types of finishes. The most popular choices
include:
1.Linoleum
Lightweight and environmentally friendly panels usually manufactured from recycled
materials. These finishes are extremely popular due to their affordability and wide
variety of color/finish options
2.Vinyl
12. 3.High Pressure Laminates (HPL)
While expensive, HPL flooring is designed to resist and disperse electricity in data
centers or facilities that house many electrical devices HPL tiles are manufactured from
a resin applied in a multi-layering process.
4.Decorative finishes
Floor tiles can be manufactured with virtually any decorative finish to match a decor.
These include everything from laminated wood finishes to rubber, cork, carpet,
porcelain, or other materials.
Custom Floor Panels
One of the main benefits of a raised access floor system is the ability to incorporate
custom floor panels to interface directly with building services.
These can include floor panels with built-in air diffusers and grilles for underfloor air
13. PROPERTY OF MATERIAL
The raised floor is a technological
system composed of five main elements
:-
• supporting structure
• core
• surface layer
• perimetral edge
• backing layer
14. Supporting Structure
The combination of the horizontal and vertical parts supports the raised floor panel so it can
be raised up higher than the building’s floor slab and be set level. The structure is in
galvanized steel to prevent corrosion and consists of columns, crosspieces and gaskets
1- Pedestal: has a stem, base and head and is the vertical, load-bearing part.
2- Gaskets: fitted between the panels and the stringers are designed to reduce noise and
provide an air seal.
3- Stringer: is the horizontal, modular part that links the columns and was designed to
improve the stability and rigidity of the structure, the system’s load capacity and its overall
seal.
4- Thermal/acoustic insulation: insulating panels in thermobonded polyester fibre (supplied
on request)
5- Impact noise insulation: multilayer backing membrane made of reticulated polyethylene
15. CORE OF THE RAISED FLOOR
This is the central part of the raised floor and it can be of two basic types depending on the
construction material:
• In wood and resin chipboard featuring high density and high mechanical strength, with nominal
thickness of 38 mm (type L38). This material has excellent properties in terms of low weight,
economy, and ease of handling; in addition, it is in the lowest formaldehyde release class (E1).
• In inert material (anhydrous calcium sulphate) reinforced with high strength cellulose fibre, with
nominal thickness of 30-34 mm (type K30-K34). The physical-mechanical characteristics and
absolute safety in terms of the release of volatile substances make this material the best product for
raised floors.
• Marazzi Engineering also offers a third solution: the Encapsulated Panel. This type of panel (23/29
mm thickness) consists of a calcium sulphate core – reinforced with cellulose fibres or with wood
and resin chipboard – encapsulated in a hot-galvanized steel sheet coating which, by means of a
double fold at the edge, increases the load capacity. The encapsulated panel is a technologically
16. SURFACE LAYER
The upper coating applied to the core comprises the floor
surface and defines the floor’s aesthetic appearance. Marazzi
Engineering can supply any material for this purpose, from the
most classic to the most innovative: porcelain stoneware,
resilient materials (rubber, linoleum, PVC), plastic laminates,
natural stone or stone composites and real wood. Porcelain
stoneware is the most suitable material for the panels’ surface
finish thanks to its special resistance and excellent technical
characteristics. Marazzi offers the widest range of porcelain
stoneware surfaces that are perfectly suitable for the creation
of raised floors, including in areas with heavy traffic.
17. DISADVANTAGES
It is generally not as effective for rooms
that support heterogeneous platforms
including large storage appliances,
mainframe equipment, and other
equipment that is designed to work in a
raised floor environment. A major
renovation project is typically required
to convert an existing room. In some
high density environments, studies
have shown raised floor plenums
actually outperform non-plenum
18. Following are few disadvantages
of raised tile floor. For
constructing such raised tile
floor, you need specially trained
contractor who must have
knowledge of using the tools for
construction. Tiles are liable to
break or get chipped Durability
of tiles are not too long
19. APPLICATIONS “OFFICES”
A space where employees will spend a lot of
time and where visitors will be welcomed,
office interior needs to be well-thought-out.
GAMAFLOR raised access floor systems to
support cable-free and clean designs that ignite
the team’s energy.
Typical Areas of Use:
• Governmental, Institutional, and state
buildings.
• Corporate offices, International headquarters
with its own corporate identity.
• Speculative multi-tenant and retail office
buildings.
20. APPLICATIONS “EDUCATIONAL AREAS”
GAMAFLOR systems are cost-effective
solutions that help these facilities achieve
productive and comfortable learning
environments that promote creativity as a
high-quality experience.
Typical Areas of Use:
• Classrooms.
• Libraries and conference rooms.
• IT facilities.
• Learning spaces.
21. APPLICATIONS “CULTURAL SPACES”
Polygroup raised access floors
create easily modifiable systems for
those who want to think outside the box
and seek creative solutions because
aesthetic & high performance does not
have to be mutually exclusive.
Typical Areas of Use:
• Opera & Music-halls.
• Museums & Theatres.
• Conventions and Conference centers.
22. APPLICATIONS “HISTORIC BUILDING
RESTORATION”
Raised access flooring is an attractive choice for
buildings that are being completely remodelled.
It offers the same quality and flexibility of the
systems as a new building preserving the
integrity of historic space structures and
returning to the original state.
Typical Areas of Use:
• Historic buildings.
• Old warehouse spaces.
23. APPLICATIONS “TECHNICAL FACILITIES”
Load capacity, air conductivity and electrostatic control are decisive when deciding the flooring for a data
processing room, a control center, or a clean hall. POLYGROUP develops systems especially designed for the
purpose of providing both the flooring and the necessary safe and technologically advanced
acclimatization elements to data and information storing industry.
Typical Areas of Use:
• IT Control centres.
• Communications rooms.
• Emergency rooms.
• Laboratory & clean rooms.
• Electrical rooms & substations.
• Energy Plants EPC Buildings.
• Data centres.
• Control tower.
• Operation rooms.
25. APPLICATIONS “PASSENGER TRANSPORT
TERMINALS”
A terminal has multiple halls, common areas, shopping malls, cafeterias,
restaurants, checking counters. Areas will improve their technical and aesthetics
appearance with the use of POLYGROUP technical flooring, providing the
passengers with a comfortable environment.
Typical Areas of Use:
• Airports.
• Luggage areas.
• Commercial areas.
• Maritime & Seaport areas.
• Railway stations.
