Benefits of Embracing Raised Access Floor Systems

Raised Access Floor System

This is a type of floor which provides some kind of a structural elevation on top of a solid substrate in order to create some hidden void that can be used for the passage of mechanical and electrical services. Such floors are common with modern office buildings, and specialized facilities such as IT data centers, exhibition areas and showrooms, museums, television and film studios, call centers, schools and universities, banks, and command centers. These floors can be installed at varying heights ranging from 2 inches to above 4 feet.
Modern equipment and computer rooms embrace under floor air distribution in order to cool off the room with minimal energy consumption. Conditioned air is supplied under the raised access floor and cleverly dispersed upwards into the room via regular spaced diffuser tiles, blowers, or ducts.

Raised access floor systems are very cost effective to install in any building and they also tend to add value to the property whether it is being used for rental purposes or it has been listed up for sale. These types of floors enable occupants to easily re-configure the room in order to cater for new needs without incurring expensive masonry work, or even ripping off the floor.

Key components of a raised access floor

Floor panel

This is basically the horizontal load bearing component of a raised floor and it comes with an industry standard dimension of 24 X 24 inches. These particular panels come supplied from the manufacturer either bare finished or they can come as factory bonded finish.

Pedestal

This is the vertical supporting structure connecting the raised access floor panels. The pedestal is usually adjustable. These pedestals are normally supported to the sub-floor by a using epoxy resin based adhesive, and this can also be supported by some mechanical fixing.

Stringer

It is a horizontal component that is used to connect the pedestals together.

Benefits of a raised access floor

Raised access floor systems provide energy savings in the sense that the space between the raised access floor and the subfloor provides some thermal insulation. In addition, when the central cooling and heating system are installed, scientific research has proved that this tends to be more energy efficient than those found on walls. When energy consumption is reduced, there are financial benefits to the organization in terms of a reduced energy bill, not mentioning contribution towards green computing.

Raised access floors also provide quick and easy access to the burgeoning volume of data and telecom facilities that are present in a modern office building. The cavity depth of the under floor void in a raised access floor system can also be used as a large duct for HVAC systems.

Raised access floor systems also save time because contractors do not have to use conventional methods of demolishing the existing electrical services, and installing new electrical and data cables in different locations, these types of floors will provide easy access to maintenance, re-routing, and upgrading services with minimal disruptions to the work process. Because cables are hidden, the room tends to look very neat in appearance.