Its important that the panels must be square and tight to minimize air leakage, and every edge next to walls and air conditioners and around pipe penetrations must be sealed. Air turbulence can cause uneven air pressure and spotty air delivery. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Most loads placed onto a raised access floor will be static and rarely, if ever, moved except as part of a swap-out or replacement program. For data centers operated more than 5 - 10 years, replacing individual floor panels with special size may be required due to wear out and daily operations. Simply adding a damper and leaving it fully open reduces this to 515 cfm. Spare panels are usually recommended and prepared in the data center design stage or extra budget may be required to settle the tailor-made issue. Panel or tile lifters are used to lift and move a floor tie, using two suction cups to affix to the floor tile. In this section, we have compiled technical data and specifications on the floor systems we offer. Panels have historically been labeled and marketed for their concentrated load ratings. Raised floor heights of 18 inches, 24 inches and even 30 inches or more are needed, and few buildings have the slab-to-slab clearance for that. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Achieving true raised floor plenum requires a completely sealed environment so that air can only escape through the perforated tiles. Designed by, Key Principles of Effective Cleanroom Design, Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Designing a Cleanroom, ISO Clean Room Standards and Other Classifications: Design, Redesign & Compliance, How to Design a Clean Room in a Regulated Facility, Clean Room Design And Build Considerations. In a properly sealed and routed raised access floor void, the air flow can be managed in the most thermodynamically efficient way. The sub-floor must also be flat, stable, clean and sealed (no joint lines) to prevent dust being generated and circulated into the room via the air conditioning system. If you only have several heavy cabinets, extra pedestals under them may be fine, but if you have too many heavy cabinets, extra pedestals could be forgotten with resulting damage to the floor. Welcome to the Specification Section of our website. If you are new to raised floor terminology, we suggest a visit to the GLOSSARY. Which Data Centre Systems Require Regular Maintenance? This is the maximum load that can be applied to the weakest one square inch of the tile without deforming it by more than a specified amount. Another important rating is "rolling load, because we need to get cabinets across the floor and into position. Stronger floors usually weigh more which, depending on the building slab rating, may reduce the useful cabinet weight that a raised floor can support. A lock-down or screw-down floor tile is an alternative format but this is less common in datacentre-type environments as this type of system gives less access and flexibility. For example, a Tate 25% open perforated panel with no damper will pass 746 cfm of air at 0.1 inches of static pressure under the floor. Ethernet ports and switches along the server room walls correspond to physical locations. These are generally 30mm deep and when used they will restrict the amount of space between the sub-floor and raise floor. The aisles between the server racks havevery different purposes. The area under a raised floor is a dirt and debris trap, but cleaning can be problematic. This type of flooring has a lower resistance to ground than static dissipative products. Tiles can be lifted easy to give access to under floor connections and additional ones added or moved to another part of the computer room facility. In data centers, we need static dissipative floors that will conduct static charges of more than 100 volts away from our bodies and clothing and through the floor tile to the ground. One of the principle uses of a raised access floor is for cooling or to be more particular as an air plenum for cooling, general ventilation and even heating. So, what are the benefits of a raised access floor? (3) Building Floor Levelness & Load Capacity. The standard range of server-room temperatures is between 68 and 74 degrees. (4) Evaluation of Raised Floor and Panels. A data center that uses the raised floor space for cooling may be required by Article 645 of the National Electrical Code to also have an emergency power off button next to exit doors. The floor tiles themselves should have a minimum life of 25years, with supporting components a lifetime of 50years. Overall a raised access floor should comply with BSI standard BSEN 12825 and the National Building Specification K41. Ratings should be based on the resistance from any point on the panel surface to the pedestal, which also needs to be properly grounded to work. For non-IT environments, these finishes can include lino (linoleum), rubber, wood, marble, stone and of course carpet. We have over 30 years of experience working within data centre and server room environments. Raised access floors are a standard component in the design of a server room or datacentre. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Enter some basic information and you will have a complete set of specifications for your raised floor that you can print or copy into your specification program. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Once you have determined which floor you will be using, you can visit the custom specifications generator. Furthermore, other problems such as addressing (and even identifying) moisture and breaches in walls plague this approach. These are critical factors in the overall design and quality of the floor installation and the pressure rating (25-30psa high or 7-15psa low) of the air conditioning system installed. There are several for IT and datacentre managers. This is an informal opinion about our interpretation of the ADA requirements for access to raised floor environments. There are a variety of types of raised floors, but they fall into 4 basic categories: Data Centers can offer customizable solutions to support all four raised floor types. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The construction consists of a floor tile that sits a set of four pedestals which are in turn fixed to a concrete base. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires at least a 1:12 slope, which means a ramp must have one foot of length for every inch of floor height. If you are unfamiliar with the the terms used to describe the loads on raised floor, a quick visit to Understanding Loads will assist you. An alternative example would be that of distributed UPS systems being replaced by a smaller but centralised UPS system that sites on the raised access floor. The most commonly seen is that used within an IT hardware space and is based on the use of standard floor tiles and metal pedestals. The hidden world below you houses the life support systems for the critical equipment you see above. Manchester 0161 660 2388/London0203 858 0608. This rules out rubber and vinyl materials. Copyright 2017 - 2022 Server Room Environments Ltd, How to Monitor Computer Room Temperatures and Air Flows, AVTECH Introduces ASHRAE Temperature and Humidity Report Overlays, How To Configure Backup Power Supplies for Hybrid Cloud Networking. This makes it easier to align rows of cabinets, as well as to roll equipment into place. When you tour a Data Center server room, the first thing you notice is how clean and cool it is. The tiles are heavy and are held in place by their weight and lateral location. Where necessary, as mentioned a purpose-made spreader plate should be used to distribute the weight from heavier systems over the wider area and preferably over eight or more floor tiles (up to 84 pedestals). For more information regarding the surfaces available, visit the Surfaces Section. Installing Warehouse Temperature and Humidity Monitoring Solutions, Selecting Lithium-ion UPS for Healthcare Applications, How to Select Environmental Monitoring Sensors for a Data Centre EMS. The cooling system is crucial to keeping the temperature at an optimal 72 degrees to prevent overheating, which can cause reduced server performance or equipment failure. In a server room or datacentre, the tile may be anti-static coated with the alternative coating being static-conductive or other finish. And because cabinets in todays data centers are getting heavier, we need the strength and stability of a bolted stringer understructure, rather than panels that just self-lock to the pedestals at the corners. Information are contributed by/from different websites and all credit goes to its respective owners/writers/websites/companies and etc, and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In the hot aisle, fans in the back of the server equipment push the heated air to perforated tiles on the ceiling of the hotaisle. The next time you visit a Data Center, look down. The approach to adding equipment to an existing computer room may require additional work than if the datacentre is a new-build. It is dispersed into the cold aisle through grates in the raised floor that cools the equipment from the front. Continuing to use this site assumes you accept our. This is a reason to compare the weights of similarly rated panels, and is also why some data center designers advocate cast aluminum floors despite their much higher cost. It is important to carefully read manufacturers' data sheets. So what strength do we really need? Backup systems, consisting of uninterruptible power supplies, battery banks, and generators, are NOT under the floor. It can be made with the necessary static dissipative qualities and also has the hardness and maintenance characteristics needed. A raised floor allows more even distribution of cooled air with less wasted energy. The under floor plenum must be suited to the design air pressure differentials with limited or no leakage at panel joints. The plenum acts as a conduit for airflow, while the perforated tiles allow air into the room ONLY where it will most effectively cool the equipment. Technical definitions classify static dissipative as a particular type of conductive floor, but manufacturers of raised floor products for data centers and clean rooms will generally identify them separately. The use of a standard floor tile size (500500mm) makes layout of the space far easier with server cabinets installed into specific rows and air conditioning systems placed strategically to support a hot-aisle/cold-aisle arrangement. There is a tendency to use the highest load rating simply because cabinets are getting heavier, but is that really necessary? The floor tiles themselves vary in thickness, material and weight dependent on the usage and floor traffic expected. The raised floor is home to an extensive network of wires and cabling. It is easy and will just take you seconds. Another key point to consider about floor tiles is their acoustic and fire-retardant capabilities. Remote engineers can monitor room temperature, consistent power usage, and server operation via the building monitoring system, whereby the software in the room reports information to the administrative computer in the Engineering office. Copyright 2022 Telehouse. There are two types of floors that are often confused: conductive and static dissipative. The area below the floor is called the plenum. Access Floor Systems.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Connectivity to each server from the IDF (Intermediate distribution frame) runs under the floor and takes such forms as CAT5/6, single mode fiber, and multimode fiber. Generally, the plenum can be anywhere from 12-36 inches deep. To prevent single points of failure and allow for full scale repairs, all elements of the electrical systems, including backup systems, are duplicated. Although some cabinets may weigh 2,500 pounds or more, others will probably weigh less. It a quick and easy way to determine the type of floor system most suited to your individual requirements. Uniform load is meaningless in a data center. When chilled air is delivered under a raised floor and preforming "spot cooled", simply rearranging perforated floor tiles is enough to change the cooling distribution. Newly added to the Information Center are the ADA Codes for Computer Floors. The natural effect of heat rising pushes the hot air up and out through ductwork more efficiently. But with all that equipment, where are all the wires and the cables? One important thing to remember is that while adjustable dampers on tiles can be very valuable for balancing air delivery among cabinets, adding a damper to any tile effectively reduces its open percentage and its airflow, even when the damper is fully open. With a 56% open grate tile, the difference is even more dramatic - 2,096 cfm with no damper and only 1,128 cfm with a fully open damper (a reduction from 56% to 30.5% open). Over time equipment designs and technology generally improves and shrinks in size whilst power requirements rise. For over 37years, Access Floor Systems has been providing durable, cost-effective and energy-efficient raised floor systems. This requires a surface material to have the necessary static dissipative qualities, and a grounded understructure that prevents the generation of static electricity. In many Data Centers, its all under the floor. One can find cables for the fire suppression system under the floor as well. When it comes to raised access floors there are two types. Modern raised floors for data centers are usually made of cement-filled steel or cast aluminum. However, the capacity of the floor may become a structural concern if the data center grows faster than originally planned or new, heavier equipment is deployed beyond what the company had intended at construction time. But different manufacturers provide other ratings, including "uniform load" (the average weight per square foot the panel can support when weight is evenly distributed across its four square-foot surface), "yield point" (where the panel permanently deforms) and "ultimate load" (where the concentrated load actually causes the panel to collapse or break). Conductive flooring is not needed, nor recommended, for data centers. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. For security concern, some cabinets stored sensitive data for critical purposes are installed inside a cage unit (from ceiling to raised floor, from raised floor to concrete slab floor) which is separated from other cabinets in a data hall. The well-constructed flooring system should not only assist and tidy up cable management (electrical and network) but also provide a suitable void through which to distribute cooled air into the cold-aisle space. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. This in turn leads to improved energy efficiency and lower electricity costs overall. In addition overall server and IT load reliability will improve and possibly to the point that overall working lives can be extended. Our knowledge and experience means that we know how to design, install and maintain the right cooling, energy management, power and monitoring solutions for any critical IT environment. The surface material on a computer room floor should be a zero-maintenance product. SRE uses cookies to improve the usability of this website. On the other hand, the plenum under a raised floor can be subject to obstructions (particularly cabling) and other inefficiencies that hamper cooling. The top of the plinth sits flush to the raised floor height and sits directly onto the concrete sub-base. Copper cables may be many different colors, but normally the blue cables are copper, and the aqua are fiber. We offer four basic floor systems: steel, concrete filled, aluminum and woodcore. The Information Center has some additional information too specialized to catagorize. Field based engineering locations: Chester, Warrington, London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Dublin and Glasgow for nationwide service coverage, site surveys, maintenance visits and emergency call outs.Call us for a free survey. Thats the equivalent of only 17.4% open. A typical server cabinet can weigh up to 300Kg for heavier weights it may be necessary to consider a spreader plate or to remove some of the floor tiles and pedestals and have a plinth constructed. Thishot air is picked up by an air handler and returned to a CRAC Unit(computer room air conditioning units) to produce cold airin the server rooms. The most commonly used surface covering in data centers is known as high-pressure laminate (HPL). They provide many benefits including a modular and flexible approach to how equipment is powered, cooled and even placed within the IT space. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. From a planning point of view a standard computer room tile is 500500m and the pedestals range in height from 70-1200mm. The material must also be hard enough for equipment to roll over and sit on without denting or deforming. When designing a server room as much attention must be given to the air flow in the plenum as the above floor area air flow. It should also be made so the laminate edges are not easily damaged. The under-floor void provides a space through which to route and contain server room infrastructure, cabling and pipework including: electrical wiring, data and telecoms wiring, security wiring and HVAC/air conditioning system components. When pedestals longer than 600mm are installed, it is common to also use stringers to provide further lateral stability. And, of course, carpet of any kind should never be used, as it both creates and traps particulates. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Raised floors must also be strong enough to support the weight of metal racks loaded with servers. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Simply answer the questions and instantly our QUICK SELECTOR Program will recommend the best floor type for you. However, data center owners can avoid this requirement in a number of ways, including not using a raised floor at all. It should be prepared for this kind of installation. Either way, it is the concentrated load or design load, not the uniform load, we care about most, since cabinets usually sit on small leveling feet or casters, not solid full-size bases. Ideally, data centers try to keep server room temperatures right at 72 degrees, with a 48% humidity level. A raised floor covers all the life functions of a server room cables, cooling, power outlets and monitoring sensors. The floor systems are available with a choice of surface coverings. The general consensus is that a raised-floor design cannot meet the cooling needs of higher-density deployments (perhaps in the range of 810 kW per rack and up). Also, the plenum under a raised floor offers room for cabling (usually power cables) that doesnt require the kind of added labor and infrastructure that overhead cabling calls forcable racks or baskets. If you don't know which floor system to specify, we suggest you visit the QUICK SELECTOR Program. Some of the hardware for siting onto the raised access floor may have castors. Server room floor tiles are graded from Extra Heavy through to Heavy, Medium and Light grade based on many factors including the Concentrated Loads and Uniformly Distributed Loads they are designed to support. We are going to address several important factors to consider (structural strength, airflow and leakage if youre using it for cooling and static dissipation) when choosing and installing a raised floor in your critical facilities. UPS systems and server cabinets are typical examples of hardware systems that will sit inside a server room. The understructure should also conduct electrical charges away so that they are not harmful to our equipment. By continuing to use this site you are accepting the use of these cookies. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Despite all many studies claiming raised floor is no longer necessary in data center design, it is still present in the vast majority of data centers or computer rooms. Power to each rack unit also runs under the floor along with ground wires throughout. For easy access, we need lay-in panels that can be easily removed, rather than the screw-down type that are bolted to the pedestals at each corner. All rights reserved. Raised access floors are a common component within a server room or datacentre and offer a number of advantages. The use of a void and standard sized floor tiles also makes it easier when it comes to room layout and future equipment moves or additions. Air flow from the floor into the room space is typically managed via vented floor tiles with aluminium grills. How Long Will A UPS Provide Backup Power For? Other than the many rows of servers, the only equipment you see in a server room are the power distribution and cooling units. The overhead air ducts in slab (non-raised-floor) designs tends to be limited. Since not all floor manufacturers test and specify the same way, it is also good to know how tests were run to compare ratings and determine whether they were done by independent testing labs. Where necessary, due to the weights and sizes involved, a specialist logistics company with lifting-gear may be required to lift and site the equipment; especially if there is a plinth or step onto the raised access floor. It should never need to be waxed or buffed, as wax accumulates dirt and must be removed with liquids, and buffing creates dust. Read More. In either case the overall electrical design of the room may require a re-think and the under-floor electrical cables rerouted to suite the new layout and hardware. In a high-pressure air conditioned environment, neoprene or similar gaskets can be fitted to the edge of the floor tiles to form a tight seal. A server rack takes a lot of power and generates a lot of heat.