How Much Load Can a Raised Floor Take? A Guide to Raised Floor Load Ratings
There is no single answer to how much load a raised floor can take, because it depends on the panel grade, the pedestals, the stringers and the test method. The figures on this page come from the manufacturers' published technical data. Before ordering, the project engineer should check equipment loads against these values.
What each load rating means
- Concentrated load a force on a small area of the panel. Under the CISCA test procedure it is applied with a 1-inch (25.4 mm) square steel indenter. This is the value to compare with the load per foot of a cabinet or machine.
- Ultimate load the force at which the panel fails. Rhino recommends that this be at least three times the concentrated load (safety factor 3.0).
- Uniform load load spread over the whole area, expressed per square metre, for example in a document store.
- Rolling load load on a wheel passing over the panel, tested at 10 passes and 10,000 passes. Use it for areas with trolleys or where cabinets are moved.
- Impact load a load dropped onto the panel.
RhinoROC® (cement-filled steel panels)
Values from the RhinoROC technical manual, tested on actual understructure with bolted stringers. Panels are 600 × 600 mm, and all grades are interchangeable within the same floor.
| Item | ROC100 | ROC200 | ROC300 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrated load | 3.56 kN (800 lbs) | 4.45 kN (1,000 lbs) | 5.56 kN (1,250 lbs) |
| Approximate equivalent in kilogram-force | ≈ 363 kgf | ≈ 454 kgf | ≈ 567 kgf |
| Ultimate load (safety factor 3.0) | 10.68 kN | 13.34 kN | 16.68 kN |
| Uniform load | 14 kN/m² | 17 kN/m² | 19 kN/m² |
| Rolling load, 10 passes | 2.67 kN | 3.56 kN | 4.45 kN |
| Rolling load, 10,000 passes | 1.78 kN | 2.67 kN | 3.56 kN |
| Impact load | 0.67 kN | 0.67 kN | 0.67 kN |
| System weight (at 150 mm FFH) | 42 kg/m² | 45 kg/m² | 48 kg/m² |
| Typical use | General offices, meeting rooms | Server rooms, control rooms, UPS rooms | Heavy equipment cabinets or areas with regular trolley traffic |
Intertek tested the ROC200 system (ROC200 panels, RSP103 pedestals and RSL600 stringers) to the CISCA Recommended Test Procedures for Access Floors 2007, sections 1 to 8, in 2016. The kilogram-force values in the table are approximate unit conversions (1 kN ≈ 102 kgf), not tested values.
RhinoEU® (calcium sulphate panels)
EU1000 values from Rhino's calcium sulphate panel specification sheet: concentrated load 4.5 kN, uniform load 12 kN/m² and ultimate load 13.5 kN, tested to PSA MOB PF2 PS/SPU. (The specification sheet lists these as 450 kg, 1,227 kg and 1,750 kg; a direct unit conversion gives approximately 459, 1,224 and 1,734 kgf.) Other grades follow the RhinoEU technical data on this website. Deflection at the centre of the panel edge is no more than 2.5 mm, with a safety factor of three times the static load.
| Item | EU800 | EU1000 | EU1250 | EU1500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrated load | 3.00 kN | 4.50 kN | 5.56 kN | 6.67 kN |
| Uniform load | 8.00 kN/m² | 12.00 kN/m² | 16.00 kN/m² | 20.00 kN/m² |
| Ultimate load | 9.00 kN | 13.50 kN | 16.68 kN | 20.01 kN |
| System weight (bare panel) | 56 kg | 58 kg | 62 kg | 68 kg |
Lindner NORTEC
Lindner rates its floors to EN 12825, load and deflection classes 1A to 5A, with point loads from 2 kN (4 kN breaking load) to 5 kN (10 kN breaking load). An example from Lindner's technical documentation: a 36.5 mm panel in class 3A has a 4 kN point load and an 8 kN breaking load, with a safety factor of 2. Because these values follow EN 12825, they cannot be compared directly with Rhino's CISCA figures. ANBS can supply data sheets for each grade.
How to choose a grade by load
- Find the weight of the heaviest equipment, such as racks, UPS cabinets or control panels, and the number of feet or castors.
- Divide the weight by the number of feet and compare the result with the panel's concentrated load.
- If trolleys or cabinet moves cross the floor regularly, check the rolling load as well.
- For storage or document rooms, check the uniform load per square metre.
- Send the equipment list to the RHINO team in Thailand. We will recommend a grade, and different grades can be used in the same room, for example ROC100 in the office area and ROC200 in the server room.
Fire test results
- RhinoROC: surface burning characteristics to ASTM E84, flame spread index 0 and smoke developed index 0 (Intertek, 2016)
- RhinoROC: vertical tube furnace test to ASTM E136, passed (Intertek, 2016)
- RhinoROC: 130-minute fire-resistance rating to Modified ASTM E119-20 (Intertek, fire from below), tested as a raised floor system installed on a 100 mm concrete slab. This is a test result, not a certification.
- RhinoEU: BS 476 Part 6, index of performance I = 0.0, and BS 476 Part 7 surface spread of flame Class 1 (TÜV SÜD PSB, 2008)
See all standards under standards and testing.
Products
- RhinoROC® cement-filled steel raised floor
- RhinoEU® calcium sulphate raised floor
- Lindner NORTEC calcium sulphate raised floor from Germany
Further reading
- What is a raised floor?
- How to choose a raised floor
- Raised floors for data centres
- Raised floor price per square metre: what it depends on
- Anti-static raised floor
Request a raised floor quotation
Contact Somsiri (Ple) of the RHINO team in Thailand. Send us the floor area, room type and equipment list, and we will recommend a grade and send a quotation, or use the quote form. Our office: 111 S.K.V Building, 4th floor, Soi Sansabai, Sukhumvit 36, Klongton, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 · Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM · (02) 661-2990 · (02) 259-1366 ext. 112.
Ple (sales) 081-336-2012[email protected]LINE @684ubper