Raised Flooring

A raised floor system is also known as a false flooring system or an access flooring system. Its an elevated structural floor creates a void above a concrete floor (concrete slab) to allow the passage of data, electrical, and mechanical services.

Likewise, it is the most effective option to create a void for cable management (cable tray system) in the computer room. The Raised access floor system provides easy access to every point of the floor.

False floors are widely used in:

• Control centers
• IT rooms
• data centers
• modern office buildings
• Where mechanical, electrical, and wiring services are used

False flooring is installed at varying heights, ranging from 200mm (8 inch) to more than 1200 mm (4 feet), to accommodate services that are located beneath.

Benefits of raised floors in data centers

Some benefits of using a raised floor model in the data center include the following:

• Conserved materials. With a raised floor, a data center doesn’t require new walls, rooms or structures to house cooling equipment.
• Cost-effectiveness. Raised floors cool the data center using a minimal number of fans and other HVAC equipment. They also conserve energy use.
• Modular design. Raised floor systems can often be easily rearranged. Tiles can be added or removed as required. If servers need to be moved, tiles can be rearranged to accommodate the rerouting of cool air. If a data center requires more fans, cabling can be stored under the floor and fans can be stored overhead, separate from the cabling.
• Material flexibility. Different types of raised floor tile materials and flooring finishes offer various benefits. Certain materials may prevent magnetic or electrostatic field disruption, as well as providing better traction, safety factors and durability.

The raised floor model was once the standard way to deliver power and provide connectivity in the data center. However, newer design models move cabling overhead into cable trays and use the space beneath the raised floor for water-cooling pipes and airflow for hot and cold aisle cooling systems.